From Sky High
by Descending Rainfall
Summary: The path to walking amongst the moon and sun and stars, and those that stray off it every now and then. A story of kings and queens and commoners and everyone in between. HyoteiOC female team.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis, just the OCs

**A/N: **This is my first fanfic, so yeah. I hope anybody who's reading likes it. Thanks for taking the time to look!

**~xXx~**

"_Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon." –Paul Brandt_

For Sakaki Tarou, there weren't a lot of things he did with hesitation. Due to being brought up in a rich and elegant (though not nearly close to the likes of the Atobe boy) family, he had been trained all his life to be polite and proper and formal. He hadn't hesitated once at being offered the job of a music teacher and tennis coach at Hyotei, and he'd never hesitated at cutting a player who'd lost.

In fact, there were only two instances he could remember where it had taken him more than five seconds to make up his mind. The first was when Shishido had made his return with the help of Choutarou and Atobe. The second was when the school board offered him the position to coach both male and female tennis teams.

As he stood in the doorway of the clubhouse, watching the black haired woman silently packing her belongings, Sakaki didn't know what to say or do. "Miura-san," he began, only to stop at her quick, sideways glance. Trying again, he said, "Miura-san, I'll take good care of your team," even though he knew it was the wrong thing to say.

Miura Fuyuko didn't reply as she snapped her briefcase shut. Her movements were quick and fluid, never stopping. He admired the way she carried on with her life despite just getting fired. Sakaki wondered if he could do that too, if the time should ever come. He hoped that it would be on his own accord and not by the school board.

At long last, she looked up with piercing green eyes, and that was wrong. Though interactions between the male and female teams were limited, Sakaki and Miura met together frequently to discuss tactics and problems with club members. She was always in a good mood, he remembered, always smiling. Until something happened last year, something he either didn't know or didn't remember.

"I appreciate your efforts, Sakaki-kun, but it doesn't matter," she said shortly, emptying a jar of pens into her bag. "My girls will be fine, with or without your help. Sorano-san and Shun-san are strong enough to handle everything themselves."

"A team needs a coach, and I was chosen for the job. I believe that it is my concern for the team that was formerly yours."

Miura locked eyes with him, gaze narrowing. Only then did Sakaki remember that she was young, only twenty-seven, and still had some sense of childish stubbornness in her. "Sakaki-kun, don't tell me what I already know. Worry about your own team for once." As a cutting blow, she added, "Must I remind you that in all the years your famous Atobe-san has been here, you've never won a major tournament even once?"

It was true, but that didn't mean the venom in her voice hadn't sunk in. He was fully aware of the fact that he'd never coached a winning team, just many successful ones. It was high time to win.

Something, however, was bothering him. Last year, Miura had led her team to the Kantou finals, only for them to be defeated by Rikkaidai. They'd gotten to the National semifinals before losing to Seigaku in a close match. Sakaki had only made it to the quarterfinals of both tournaments. So why, he wondered, was Miura getting fired when she had coached a team that had made it further than his? It made no sense.

As she opened the door to leave, he cleared his throat. "Miura-san…Fuyuko-san, are you sure your team will be alright?" It wasn't what he was trying to say, but they were the easiest words that could slip past his tongue.

She looked back at him once more with those green eyes, something distinctly cloudy about her emotions. "Tarou-kun, I assure you that they will be fine." And then she slipped out, not even bothering to shut the door.

Sakaki was puzzled by Miura Fuyuko. She didn't make any sense to him, but he couldn't worry about it any longer. After all, it was high time to win.

**~xXx~**

The encounter between the two adults had not gone unnoticed. Up on one of the third floor classrooms, a girl sat on the windowsill watching, eden eyes narrowed. She caught how Miura left the clubhouse with her shoulders slightly bent, the strange jut to her chin that was an attempt at dignity. Even from so far away, she also caught the way the woman had tears pooling up in her eyes, tears of regret and wishfulness.

The girl, who had been twirling a lock of hair around her finger, suddenly clenched her hand into a fist. _Too late, Miura-sensei. It's too late_, she thought with pity and empathy. _It's far too late. _She felt sorry for the former tennis coach too, but would never admit it, not even in her thoughts. She never apologized for anything, especially when she didn't have anything to do with it.

She glanced at the clock on the wall before smoothly sliding off the windowsill. It was four o' clock now, time for practice. The first practice with Sakaki and not Miura.

_Oh well_, she thought, _maybe one of the science techies can build a time machine one day, and then Miura-sensei can knock some sense into the old man._

**~xXx~**

Tsukiko loved and hated captaincy.

It was nice to be looked up to as a leader, to have the eyes of the underclassmen and other third years watching her with reverence and obedience, but it was also nerve wrecking for the exact same reasons. Make one mistake, and she'd be torn apart by the club members like a pack of wolves tearing apart their prey, blood rushing out of her body and onto the ground beneath her.

"Isn't that going a little far, Tsukiko?"

She looked up with flushed cheeks in the realization that she'd said her last sentence out loud. The dark haired girl sitting in front of her looked composed and orderly, with her hair neatly tied up in a ponytail and uniform perfectly smooth. Tsukiko knew for sure that her tennis uniform was also tidy, but she still felt like a mess compared to the girl next to her.

With a sheepish smile, she said, "I'm sorry, Shun. I'm just a little nervous, you know?" she laughed far too convincingly.

Shun nodded sympathetically. "You'll be okay, Tsukiko-san. Just don't be nervous."

Don't be nervous? That was a joke. Despite having done hundreds—no, maybe even thousands—of performances in her lifetime of eighteen years, Tsukiko was so not ready to address two hundred expectant tennis club members. She didn't particuarly _appear _nervous, but her insides were twisting and turning, threatening to spill out. No, it was impossible not to be nervous.

The dark haired girl sighed, reaching a hand over to clasp her on the shoulder. Her eyes were the color of golden topaz. "You'll be okay," she repeated, a small, reassuring smile on her lips. "Miura-sensei wouldn't have appointed you as captain if she didn't believe you in."

"I'll head out now, just to make sure everything's in check. Two minutes before you have to make your announcements, got it?"

Tsukiko nodded, biting her bottom lip desperately.

Once Shun left, she let out a deep breath and willed herself to stare into the mirror in front of her. She was still the same person, still Sorano Tsukiko. Her dark red hair was up in bun resembling a rose, her blue-black eyes were strong. _It's just like another performance, okay? You're not dancing today, but you dance to express words, and today you'll be speaking those words out loud. You can do it_.

She reached up a hand and slipped the pin out of her bun, causing all her shiny hair to fall down her back in perfect waves. It was performance time, the lights were on, the stage was set, and she was ready for this.

**~xXx~**

In all honesty, Shun didn't really like Hyotei Academy that much. She'd only joined for two reasons: a) because the tennis club was good, and b) because her father had insisted upon it.

Shun had four siblings, two older and two younger. Himura Hiroki, her father, was on the Hyotei school board as the manager of it's sister schools. There were four other locations in America, France, England, and Australia. Hina, her older sister, had been sent to the location in Australia, Junichi, her older brother, had gone to America, and Mariko, her younger twin, went to France. That left Shun to go to any of the other two locations, and she chose to remain in Tokyo. Taiki, her youngest brother, who was still in primary school, would unquestionably be sent to England when the time came.

She didn't necessarily blame her father for sending his children off all around the world, but was a little rueful about the fact that he was using them for advertisement. _Yeah, I'm attending this super rich school that did you know, has four other locations all around the world? My siblings all go to different ones, send all your relatives and friends there too!_

Back when she'd been in elementary school, making decisions on middle schools, she'd wanted to go to Rikkaidai. It had the best tennis teams in the nation, and its status was of the elite. Hyotei, on the other hand, also had an excellent tennis team (though it had been quite a few decades since their last major win), but their status was even more elite, of the highest upper class. Hiroki would have never let his daughter go to a rival school when he was on the school board for a rich kid academy, so she'd always known it was out of the question to attend Rikkai.

And then that Atobe fucking Keigo had to enter the scene, and life at a rich kid academy just became worse.

Unlike the rest of the female population, Shun was not very impressed by Atobe Keigo. The boy was handsome, yes, he was intelligent, yes, and his family was ridiculously wealthy, yes, but what else did he have to offer? Shun certainly did not know, and all Atobe was to her was plain hell. She hated his antics and dramatic tendencies, hated the finger snaps and the way people of all ages fawned after him.

The only person she disliked more than Atobe Keigo was her new coach, Sakaki Tarou. She couldn't stand the way he especially fawned over Atobe, though it was different from most people. Sakaki didn't make gushing comments like the women or slap him on the shoulders like the men, he simply gave him all the spotlight and left all his teammates in the dark. Shun's biggest policy was to give credit to those who helped and were on the team, and she was disgusted by the special treatment Atobe got. She liked Oshitari and Shishido so much better, people who worked hard to earned their victories and deserved their titles.

If she'd had a choice, Shun would have ditched school so she didn't have to listen to Atobe's painfully dramatic speech and block out all the fangirls' cheering. But since she'd been made vice captain, and Tsukiko was always a jumble of nerves before public speaking, she'd decided that it was better to stay. Though dear lord, she begged her ears to be spared from hearing another "Ore-sama" or finger snap.

Finally—_finally_—Atobe was done with his speech, and now it was time for Tsukiko to give hers. Shun, though not the closest of friends with her, squeezed her fingers once for good luck and gently shoved her towards the podium.

Shun didn't really pay attention to the speech, and that was mostly due to the head of dyed hair that came up to her. The girl's trademark smirk and sly expression had always put her on edge, and though Shun always retained a calm and composed look, she was sure that this mastermind knew it. "Akechi," she greeted coolly, moving over a little to give her some space. She was neither friends nor enemies with the girl, but disliked her anyway.

In return, Akechi Yuuka smirked even wider. "Himura," she said, because Yuuka was known to call everyone by their last names and without honorifics. Shun doubted she'd ever find out how the cryptic and sly mastermind could ever _have _friends, but she'd stopped wondering a long time ago. Yuuka had plenty of friends, but she didn't necessarily treat them all as such. Tsukiko and a girl called Erena were of the few that she was truly close to, and perhaps the only one that she would protect.

Yuuka's hair was both striking and artistic. It went from a dark purple at the roots to a light pink at the tips, transitioning in an ombre so smooth it looked natural. Well, it would have looked more natural had it not been pink and purple, but that didn't mean it looked bad. Truth be told, Shun thought the dyed hair suited Yuuka very well. It captured her cryptic and deathly intelligence perfectly.

Distantly, she could hear the red haired captain say, "Ranking tournaments will be held tomorrow to decide the top eight—seven regulars and one reserve. Remember that just because you made the team last year doesn't necessarily mean you'll make it this year, so don't let your guard down."

That was a joke, Shun thought. The four remaining from last year's team consisted of Tsukiko, Yuuka, their best friend Erena, and Shun herself. Having played the other three and actually testing their skills out herself, Shun knew for certain that none of them were going to lose their spots. She also already had an idea of who were going to take the next four spots anyway.

"…please welcome my vice captain, Himura Shun," Tsukiko was saying.

Shun blinked, momentarily shocked. Yuuka prodded her shoulder in a way that was not particularly gentle or good natured, but it wasn't like she expected much else from Yuuka. She got up and went up to the podium, next words already on the tip of her tongue.

"I'd like to thank you all for joining the tennis club, but there are some ground rules we need to cover," Shun said in a voice that was both smooth and authoritative. "We will announce the eight who have made it as regulars tomorrow, but that could change later in the year. Anyone is allowed to challenge a regular at any time, and if they win they automatically gain their position."

"Unlike the male team, however, if a regular loses a match, they will not be taken off the first string," this she said with a bit of disguised venom, poisonous and bitter venom directed to Sakaki Tarou. "We do believe in second chances, and maybe even a third or fourth. But if a regular continues to constantly represent Hyotei Academy in a way that is unacceptable, they will be taken off without hesitation."

Tsukiko nodded in agreement, taking the microphone back. "Good luck in the ranking tournaments tomorrow, and be prepared for whatever may happen," she finished.

As Shun and Tsukiko descended from the platform, they exchanged glances. The same message was in their eyes, swimming on the surface of blue-black and amethyst, equally urgent and equally determined.

_For Miura-sensei._

**~xXx~**

Late that night, Atobe stood on the roof of his mansion, waiting. He checked his expensive watch for the eleventh time, then back at the sky, annoyance written all over his face. _When is that girl going to get here_?

He turned to Kabaji, who was staring up into the night stars with an impatient expression that made Atobe smile. The second year really had missed her, after all. So much that he broke his usual blank look because he wanted her to be here so badly.

"Excited, ne, Kabaji?"

"Yes." Even that monosyllabic response couldn't fool Atobe Keigo. He knew that Kabaji was excited beyond his wits, more than ready to see his best friend again after six years.

"I would believe so. You remained in contact with Airi even when we moved, correct?"

"Yes."

"Good. That girl's got her brains, but I do wonder how she would fare in a new environment."

Before Kabaji could say anything else, the sound of a helicopter whirring caught their attention. The two boys looked up to see the giant helicopter with an Atobe Corporationlogo on the side descending on the rooftop. Once it landed, the door opened and a girl stepped out, stretching her back as she did so.

Kabaji smiled softly, taking a step forward. "Airi…" he said, extending out an arm for the girl.

Her dark eyes lit up when she saw him, immediately surging forward and throwing her arms around his neck. "Munehiro!" she cried, squeezing his shoulders once before letting go and looking at him directly in the face. "You haven't changed much, have you?" She laughed, giving him another hug.

Atobe cleared his throat as politely as possible while retaining that _Ore-sama is still here _vibe. The girl looked up, and when she saw the gray haired boy she laughed and extended a hand. "Good to see you too, Keigo," she said.

"Airi, Airi, Airi," he tsked, swatting away the hand. "Must I remind you that here in Japan I am your elder and you must use honorifics? Also, shaking hands with close friends is far too formal, you should know better."

Airi rolled her eyes, throwing her arms around his shoulders as well. "Fine, _Keigo-senpai,_" was her nonchalant response as she released him. "You haven't changed much either, always the mood ruiner."

"And you, Airi," he sighed back dramatically, "have not lost any of your childishness, judging from this—" he checked his watch "—minute and a half reunion. I would have expected a girl of sixteen to be different from her ten year old self, but apparently that is not the case with you."

She just rolled her eyes again, shoving her suitcase at him. Turning back to Kabaji, she said, "Has Keigo-senpai been like this ever since we've been separated? I didn't realize Atobes went through puberty the same way girls do."

Mildly offended, Atobe cut in. "If you're referring to menstruation, I can assure you that I am not yet in need of tampons." Because it was Airi, it was always better to play along with her strange antics, no matter how crude they were. "Thank you for the concern, though there are probably a few more years before it comes."

"And when you get your first one, Keigo-senpai, text me. I'll make sure to tell you which brands are the best," Airi nodded solemnly.

"That would be greatly appreciated. Remember to bring ice cream and chocolates as well."

"Will do."

The ridiculousness of the discussion was too much for Kabaji to handle, and soon enough he was doubled over laughing. Only Airi could induce that in him. It had been a while since Atobe had last heard him laugh like that. Airi glanced at him fondly, laughter in her night colored eyes. Even Atobe was chuckling, unable to believe that he'd just been making jokes about such a topic. "You must be tired after that, not to mention jet lagged. I've already signed you up for the tennis tryouts and talked to your teachers, so you won't have to get up until late tomorrow"

Airi nodded gratefully, tiredly running her fingers through her pale brown hair. Stifling a yawn, she said, "Thanks, Keigo-senpai," before sleepily following Michael the butler downstairs.

Atobe had to let out a few more laughs. Though he'd never tell her, he was eternally grateful for Airi's existence. Being Kabaji's best friend from London, she'd spent all of her childhood with the two boys and knew how to deal with them. Not only that, she'd also fallen in love with tennis with them, and he could remember all the countless afternoons they'd spent rallying with each other.

Turning to Kabaji, he said, "This season is going to be interesting, ne?"

"Yes."

He chuckled again. That monosyllabic response couldn't fool Atobe Keigo.

**~xXx~**

**End**

**~xXx~**

**A/N: **I was inspired to write about an OC team by authors like **fyerigurl** and **Neon Genesis**, and I'd like for anybody who's reading this to please keep in mind that I'm not trying to plagiarize or copy them, and if there are any aspects that are too similar just let me know.

I chose Hyotei because hell, when you have rich kids interacting with rich kids and tennis and the brilliant Atobe, what could possibly go wrong?

A hell of a lot. But that's for later.

If all goes well, I plan to write half the story from Rikkai as well because I originally planned to do a RikkaiOC team and still want to include them if I'm writing Hyotei.

Please leave a review if you liked this!

-**Descending Rainfall **(though who has time for formalities like that. Call me Cara!)


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis, just the OCs

**A/N: **First of all, I'd like to say thank you to **princesslolitatheorca654, the girl from back then, Flying Kingfisher, **and **Juliedoo **for your very kind reviews. I'm just glad that people are reading and like it :)

There's something else I have to address though. It's only been one person, but seriously? I'm trying to be Neon Genesis? Of course that isn't going to happen, because we're two different people, duh. And I'm not trying to be her either, just because I'm writing a HyoteiOC. Does she own Hyotei and Rikkai now because she wrote a fanfiction about them? No, she doesn't, hence the name FANfiction. I'm a big fan of hers, but seriously people. Get a fucking life.**  
**

There's only one person who owns the teams, and that is Konomi Takeshi, the creator. We're all just fans who want to write our own stories based off of his, and so technically doesn't that mean we're plagiarizing him? Once again, hence the name fanfiction. So if it seems like I'm plagiarizing or copying other authors, it's my mistake, okay? I don't intend to, and I'm sorry if I'm offended any of you who call yourselves fans.

And without any further ado, to those that actually like this story instead of the haters, here's the second chapter :)

* * *

**~xXx~**

_"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." -André Gide_

**~xXx~**

* * *

There were some people who feared the opposite sex, feared their power and believed that they had different ideals. There were some people who respected the opposite sex, those who appreciated what they could offer and their abilities. There were some people who were indifferent to the opposite sex, who believed that all people were the same and that neither was better but equal.

Then, Anna thought, there was Oshitari Yuushi, who flat out worshipped and kissed the ground that had been walked upon by the opposite sex.

It wasn't that it was a bad thing, necessarily, but she thought that maybe the blue haired Oshitari boy took his love a little too far. After being in his class for the past six years in a row, Anna knew well enough that anytime a synonym for romance was said, he'd immediately go off into his own world. And don't even get her started on those novels of his, a new one every two days.

(Seriously, how was it even _possible _that so many romance novels could exist?)

Anna had once had the misfortune of picking up one of his books that he'd dropped, thinking it was a textbook due to the hard cover and book sleeve. When she'd flipped it open to see if it had a name, however, she realized that it wasn't anything close to one of the the school textbooks. Good lord, books should not be targeted towards the young adult audience if they were full of _that _content and detail.

That wasn't even the worst part of the story. When she'd gone to return it to him, it had been during tennis practice. She'd been wearing her uniform already, the same jersey but with a pleated white athletic skirt. The guy creeped her out enough normally, but actually having to talk to him? His eyes had roamed positively _everywhere_, making her so uncomfortable it was a miracle she hadn't begun fidgeting.

Of course, since it had been Oshitari Yuushi, she knew that he hadn't meant any harm, but still. _Still. _He needed to learn what type of behavior was appropriate when speaking to the opposite sex—especially where those eyes should and should not wander.

Which was why Anna so detested the fact that Oshitari Yuushi was in her class—_again, _for the sixth year in a row. From middle school first years to high school seniors, the guy hadn't changed much, and by that she meant he was still obsessed with romance and love. Worse, some goddamn sadist had seated him as her desk mate (that sadist probably being Shioya-sensei, goddammit). Everything had been smooth sailing yesterday, with neither of them speaking to each other, but the blue haired life ruiner just had to talk to her today.

"Aren't you in the tennis club, Anna-chan?"

Normally, Anna would have answered right away, but looking at Oshitari now just made it seem wrong to answer. There were quite a few things wrong with the question in the first place, such as his usage of her given name when she could have sworn they'd never spoken more than five times to each other before. Then again, it was _the _Oshitari Yuushi who had posed the question, so really, she shouldn't have been surprised.

Too late, she realized that it had taken too long for her to answer. Oshitari's head was tilted to the side with an amused smile formed on his lips. Hastily, she said, "That's right, Oshitari-san," and clamped her mouth shut again. _You'd better leave it at that. I really don't want to talk to you any more than necessary._

He simply nodded, oblivious to her desperate thoughts. "I offer my deepest condolences for the loss of your coach. I heard she did her job well. Miura-sensei the art teacher, correct?"

"That's correct," a cold, simple reply. Miura Fuyuko was not to be brought up, especially not around the student that admired her the most.

"Will you still try out this year?"

That, actually, was a very good question. Anna was one of the few that knew the exact details of Miura's messy departure, and high school tennis simply wouldn't be high school tennis without her. But still… "Of course I am, Oshitari-san. Tsukiko and Shun already put me in the ranking tournament."

Oshitari nodded thoughtfully. "Sorano-chan and Himura-chan right?" Anna nodded. "I'm looking forward to seeing how they do as captain and vice captain." There was something distinctively condescending in his voice, something Anna knew she immediately hated.

"Oshitari-san," she spoke seriously, voice icy cold. "You're not exactly our coach or on our team, so maybe you should worry about your own."

For just a second, he looked surprised, blue eyes widened just a fraction of a centimeter. Then the teacher began class, and his attention was averted, thank God.

**~xXx~**

Everybody, including the captain and vice captain, had to compete in the ranking tournaments. There were exactly sixty-four female tennis club members (it wasn't as popular with the girls as it was with the boys' whopping two hundred) with twenty-five available courts for usage. That meant they would be divided into groups of eight, with everybody playing a best of three sets against everyone in their block. The player with the most wins from their block would gain a regular spot. Of course, the blocks had been mixed fairly, with two beginners, two intermediates, two advanced players, and two new students in each of them.

That much had all been figured out by Yuuka. And all in her head. In a span of three minutes and forty-six seconds.

_Take that, Sato-sensei._

(Sato-sensei being the math teacher)

She smirked as she stuck the papers on the bulletin board. That arrogant second year Naito was in for it, Yuuka had purposefully put her in the same block as Erena. So was that absolute _bitch _Watanabe, she was in Yuuka's block. And who could forget the jabbering chatterbox Ekiguchi? As a special treat, she was with Shun. Captain Tsukiko would simply have to deal with the annoying Sasaki in Block A.

_Oh, _Yuuka practically purred in thought, _this is perfect._

Twirling a strand of pink hair around her finger, she read through the other blocks (even though she'd already memorized them inside and out) just to make sure that the printer hadn't had a spas attack and every name was in the right place. There were three others that she'd made sure were all in separate blocks, and she didn't care about the last one. Running her finger down Block H, she suddenly came upon a name that she recognized but could not put a face to (and how could she be called a mastermind if she didn't know everything?).

_Yoshida Airi_.

Oh right. _That _one.

At the moment, girls were pouring out of the changing rooms, eagerly awaiting to see which blocks they were in and when/who they would be playing. To her amusement, Watanabe the bitch was the first to the list and first to become as pale as a sheet. Yuuka waved to her, teeth showing in what could hardly be called a smile. They were the first match of Block C.

_Let's get this show on the road, shall we?_

Oh, this was going to be so much fun.

**~xXx~**

"Game, set, and match, Himura! 6-0, 6-0!"

_That, _Shun thought as she shook Ekiguchi's trembling hand, _was the most boring match I've ever played. _The dark haired girl hadn't even been trying very hard, and yet she never even lost a point, winning forty-eight points in a row. But since she was the vice captain speaking to a first year, she was expected to say something nice. "Your forehand is okay," was the crappy consolation.

Shun had already won all seven of her matches, which meant she was a first stringer. Though it had hardly been necessary to go through the whole ordeal, since the vice captain couldn't just be a second stringer. Whatever, though. She had a good hour before her last match, and it was her turn to run the scoring table.

Block A had already finished all their matches, with Tsukiko being the winner. Yuuka had already destroyed five opponents in Block C and was in the middle of defeating her sixth. The other blocks were all almost finished, with clear winners. Shun filled in her name as the Block B victor.

Footsteps came up from behind her, light footsteps that made almost no sound. She heard a camera snap, knew immediately who it was—as if the footsteps weren't enough. "Hello, Fukumitsu-san," she said in greeting, turning to meet the Block D champion. "I'm assuming you won."

The girl standing before Shun was tall and slender, though she had noticeable curves in her body. Her black hair was in a short pixie cut, green highlights on the fringe. Fukumitsu Erena was noticeably fairy like, with pretty delicate looking limbs and an angularly artistic face. She looked too fairy like for the professional camera around her neck.

Far too fairy like for her devastating play as well.

"Of course, Himura-san," Erena nodded. Though she wasn't exactly what one would call cocky or arrogant, she still had that Hyotei sense of dignity and confidence. "You could say Naito was taught a little lesson on what a real kick serve is."

Shun hadn't expected anything less from the tall girl. She doubted that she'd even lost a single point in all seven matches.

Sighing, she filled in Erena's name as the Block D regular. "Anybody good from the other four blocks?"

Thoughtfully, Erena ran her hand over the camera's sleek surface, a habit of hers when she was deep in thought. "I happened to see a new girl who played well in Block H," she mentioned neutrally. "And Hayashi-san's pretty much secured her spot already."

Shun consulted the scoresheets. Thanks to that mastermind Yuuka, all the blocks had been distributed evenly, with little differences between them. Block H had been the last to start due to a delayed first match, but they were almost done, with a clear winner already having six wins under her belt. "Yoshida Airi? I've never heard of her before," the dark haired vice captain commented with a small frown.

"Tsukiko mentioned that Atobe-san had a friend from London who was transferring here, apparently she's pretty good. Won a bunch of titles on the British circuit."

Of course Atobe would tell Tsukiko and not her. When it came to Atobe Keigo, what else should she have been expecting? Shun barely managed to suppress an annoyed sigh. _It's only the second day of school, and I already don't know if I can last the whole year._

**~xXx~**

Airi was late. Ridiculously late. Beyond ridiculously late, in fact. So late that Atobe had had to sent Kabaji back to the mansion so he could physically wake her up and drag her over to the school. She would have missed her first match, had Atobe not pulled a lot of strings and gotten her out of hot water with Sakaki Tarou, the coach.

Her first opponent had been a towering third year with long arms and legs, eyes dark and angled in way that made her look suspicious of others. Airi, who hadn't even had time to warm up, had stumbled in the first set before finally winning 6-4 and dominating the second at 6-1. Fujimura Haruko, her name was, and she'd been by far Airi's toughest opponent. Everything else was smooth sailing from there.

After finishing up her last match, Airi found a tall, gracefully built girl waiting for her, with red hair so dark it shone in the fading light. There was something powerful about the way she stood, yet her face was so pretty with the high cheekbones and large eyes and long lashes. The girl extended her hand. "I don't believe we've met. I'm Sorano Tsukiko, a third year," she smiled warmly.

Airi, who was a good three inches shorter than Tsukiko, took the hand. It was calloused and strong, contrasting to the older girl's soft appearance. "Yoshida Airi, second year. Nice to meet you, Sorano-senpai." Clearing her throat awkwardly, she added, "Not trying to be rude, senpai, but is there a reason why you came up to me?"

Tsukiko looked startled for a second before smiling again. "I'm the captain of the girls team," she explained, running a hand through her dark red hair. Airi was envious of how perfect she was. "You play very well, Yoshida-san."

Now it was her turn to look startled. The captain had just complimented her? "Thanks, Tsukiko-senpai—I mean, Sorano-buchou," she corrected herself. _Damn, I forgot that I'm not supposed to use her given name._

Tsukiko just laughed good naturally, brushing her hair behind her ear. "It's okay, Yoshida-san. Most people call me Tsukiko anyway," the captain smiled one last time before turning to go. "See you later, Airi-chan."

_Airi-chan? _Airi thought dumbfoundedly, staring after the taller girl. Slowly, a smile broke across her face. _I like my new captain._

**~xXx~**

Yuuka stood in front of the crowd with a sheet of paper folded in her hands. "Settle down, everyone, unless you'd much rather have me rip this up right here and now," she drawled, signature smirk on her face. Immediately, all the girls hushed. They were all nervous and excited to see the results of the ranking tournament.

In a slow, mocking way, Yuuka ever so carefully unfolded the paper and stuck it on the bulletin board, swooping away next to Tsukiko and Erena once she was done. The paper was large enough for everyone to see it, even from far away.

_**Hyotei Gakuen Female Tennis Team Regulars**_

_Sorano Tsukiko, third year, captain_

_Himura Shun, third year, vice captain_

_Akechi Yuuka, third year_

_Fukumitsu Erena, third year_

_Shiina Ikue, third year_

_Hayashi Anna, third year_

_Kataoka Chizuru, second year_

_Yoshida Airi, second year_

Everyone was silent for a few seconds, before finally a polite round of applause started.

**~xXx~**

Anna breathed out a quick sigh of relief. _You made it, it's okay. You made it._

_I made it_.

She'd known, of course, after trouncing all seven opponents by large margins, but she hadn't quite gotten herself to believe it until she'd read her name on the poster.

Dimly, she was aware of the people around her turning to look, some with jealously and others with accolades. There was Mizutani, one of the better girls she'd played yesterday, who looked positively miffed. She'd beaten all her opponents except Anna, and lost terribly.

_Just making it on the team doesn't mean anything yet, though. There's always going to be more than enough room for hard work. _It wasn't her voice that said that, but instead a softer one, with a much kinder tone and a sweetness more pure than an innocent child.

_I know, _Anna told herself, closing her hazel eyes for just a second of rest. _I know, Nee-san._

**~xXx~**

Erena had known Tsukiko and Yuuka since before elementary school, and naturally the three of them were best friends. After school ended, they went to her house to spend the night—they all had sets of clothes at each other's mansions, that was just how close they were.

Upon entering the front door, a brown haired woman taller than Erena was talking to the butler, explaining something about flower arrangements. She looked up momentarily and spotted the girls, a warm smile growing on her face. "Hello, Tsukiko and Yuuka. It's great to see you two again," she greeted, reaching over to hug them both.

Erena pressed a kiss to her mother's cheek. "Tsukiko's captain, Mother," she informed.

Her brown eyes lit up as she turned to the red haired girl. "Really, Tsukiko? That's great, congratulations."

Tsukiko flushed a little, smiling nervously. Adults always made her feel self conscious, Erena knew, despite the fact that she performed in front of hundreds of people on a daily basis. "Thank you, Corrina-san," she said.

Corrina patted her on the shoulder before turning to Yuuka. "What about you, Yuuka? Are you the vice captain?"

The purple and pink haired girl shook her head. "No, a girl called Himura Shun is. Her dad's also on the school board."

Before Corrina could say anything else, Erena interrupted. "If you don't mind, Mother, we're planning out some practice matches for tomorrow, so we should probably go up now," she kissed her cheek to let her know that she hadn't been trying to be offensive.

Corrina nodded. "Then you'd better get to work on that. You should bring Himura-san next time, I'd like to meet her," she said as she turned back to the butler. Luckily, she missed Yuuka's dark muttering of "No way in _hell_".

The three girls went upstairs and into Erena's room. Tsukiko plopped down on the beanbag cushion. "Have I ever told you that I love your mom, Erena?"

Erena rolled her eyes. "Many a time, Tsukiko, many a time."

Unlike most Hyotei student mothers, Corrina Hallas was a) not Japanese and b) not a formal person. She was fully Greek, born and raised in Athens. She'd been twenty-one when she met Fukumitsu Shiro on an exchange trip to Japan, and he'd been assigned to help her around the school. They'd hit it off right from the start, and five years later they'd gotten married and had a daughter. Corrina, after living in Japan for almost half her life, was fluent in both Japanese and Greek, teaching Erena both languages.

As if being Greek hadn't made her stand out enough amongst the rich families, Corrina was also not a fan of formal clothes. While most mothers chose a formal and businesslike look—Yuuka's mother wore a smart business dress everywhere she went, and while Tsukiko's mother was more laid back in that department, her clothes always bordered on formal—, Corrina usually wore jeans and plaid shirts. Sure, she'd wear skirts and the occasional dress, but it was not uncommon to find her walking around in casual wear—_walking_, instead of being driven in a limo!

Erena and her father, Shiro, however, were not embarrassed by Corrina at all. Shiro loved her very much and even encouraged her to wear whatever she wanted, because, in his own words, "Who the hell cares what you wear? If you're a formal person, dress formal, if you're a casual person, dress casual. Aren't clothes supposed to express who you are?"

Lately, however, she had been feeling a sense of protection when it came to her mother. Nobody in their right mind would have the nerve to say it out loud, but Erena saw the contempt in some peoples' eyes, how they looked down at the Greek and casually dressed Corrina Hallas who hadn't even changed her last name after getting married. She had a few choice words to say to them, but then remembered that her mother was a creature of stilled waters, always keeping her tongue down from saying anything cruel.

"Anyway," Erena shook her head to clear away those thoughts. "Why don't we get to talking about matches?"

Tsukiko shot a concerned glance her way before nodding. "I'd like to challenge Chizuru-san tomorrow, see how much she's improved since last year." Last year, Kataoka Chizuru had barely missed the cut, losing twice in the tryouts. One of them had been to the previous captain, Okita Ayano, the other to Tsukiko herself.

"Sounds fine," Yuuka shrugged carelessly, yet her eden green eyes were sharp and quick, taking in everything without missing even a speck. _Probably configuring Kataoka and Tsukiko's data into some type of mathematical scientific stuff, _Erena thought wryly. Yuuka was an all honors student and consistently had the highest scores. Every exam wasn't so much an exam as an all out war between Yuuka and Atobe, both of them fighting to be number one.

Yuuka and Atobe, actually, had dated from the first year of middle school up until last year, the second year of high school. They'd been the talk of every Hyotei family, both good and bad. How could the Akechi girl with the dyed hair _ever _have gotten the Atobe boy, and what did they see in each other? And that breakup? What could have been the cause of it? Since Erena and Tsukiko were her best friends, they'd had their fair share of questioning as well.

It hadn't exactly helped with the fact that Erena had been dating Oshitari Yuushi starting from high school first year. They'd broken up at the end of their second year, but remained good friends. He called her his fairy queen, his Titania, his winged beauty (in return to the Titania comment, she'd teasingly called him her Nick Bottom). It had been a damn nice relationship too. Contrary to popular belief, Oshitari Yuushi was not a pervert. He simply loved women and happened to have an attraction for women with pretty legs. Sure, he wasn't an innocent, but he was still a good person.

"—I'd like to take on Himura," Yuuka was saying, fingers laced together. "Our score is seven to seven, and I'd like to prove once and for all that I'm better than that _bitch_," she smirked. It was a commonly known fact that Shun did not like Yuuka, and Yuuka in return did not like Shun. Their tennis styles were dissimilar, and they had a heated rivalry over which was better.

Tsukiko shoved her lightly, said, "Easy there, Shun's still my vice captain," she chided. She wrote that down, turned to Erena, "What about you, Erena? Anyone you have in mind to play?"

Erena merely flicked her black and green fringe out of her eyes. "The new girl, Atobe's little friend," she replied. Yoshida Airi, was it? Erena wanted to test out her skills, see just how good the half Irish seventeen year old was.

"So that leaves Hayashi and Shiina to duke it out then," Yuuka commented lightly—as if Yuuka could ever make a light comment. "That should be an interesting match." She shot Tsukiko a meaningful look. "_Hayashi_," she repeated.

Tsukiko blinked in shock. "Hayashi as in…Takihara and Hayashi?" she asked slowly, biting her bottom lip.

Yuuka nodded. "Not the same Hayashi, clearly, but they look similar, don't you think?"

Erena finally understand what they were talking about. "So what you're saying is that our Hayashi is related to the Hayashi that beat you last year?"

"Exactly," the purple and pink haired girl nodded. To no one in particular, she said, "Hayashi Anna, you might prove to be very useful."

**~xXx~**

Late that night, while her parents and younger brother, Taiki, were asleep, Shun was busy texting a friend.

_Suzuki Takara: How's your team looking?_

_Himura Shun: Good. They're all great players._

_Suzuki Takara: Oh really? _

_Himura Shun: Yeah. There's someone I think you'd be interested to hear about._

_Suzuki Takara: Tell tell, Shun darling._

_Himura Shun: I hate when you say that. But anyway, her name's Hayashi Anna._

_Suzuki Takara: …._

_Suzuki Takara: Hayashi, huh? Interesting, interesting._

_Himura Shun: Don't play with me, Takara. I know you know her sister._

_Suzuki Takara: That's true. And I can tell you that if this Hayashi Anna is anything like Misaki-senpai, you've got a valuable team member._

_Himura Shun: Anna-san seems okay._

_Suzuki Takara: Don't be so prideful. _

_Himura Shun: What about your team? Anyone great there?_

There wasn't a response for a long time, long enough for Shun to give up and fall asleep. Coincidentally, right as her eyes closed, a text flashed on the phone screen.

_Suzuki Takara: Shun, I'm Rikkai. We don't just settle for great._

**~xXx~**

**End**

******~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N: **I haven't introduced the whole team yet, but all their names are listed so keep an eye out for any mention of them later. Also, please make sure to leave a review because I really like reviews :)

So what do you think of the characters I've introduced so far? Tell me which one's your favorite, and which ones you think need some work. Feedback is greatly appreciated!

Thank you again to those who had kind words to say about the first chapter, and once again to any haters, please get a fucking life.

-Cara


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis, just the OCs

**A/N: **Because I wrote about eight chapters in advance, here's the third.

Thanks to **fyerigurl**, **YunaBrown, **and everybody who reviewed again!

In response to **Flying Kingfisher**'s questions, this is a semi AU that takes place in high school, but all the canon events from the manga did happen three years earlier. And as for who plays singles and who plays doubles, you'll find out soon in a couple chapters :)

* * *

**~xXx~**

_"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'" -Mary Anne Radmacher_

**~xXx~**

"Ootori-kun."

Choutarou glanced up from his locker, surprised. "Oh, good morning Kabaji-kun!" He smiled in greeting, shutting the locker. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Which class are you in?" Kabaji asked, eyes blank but tone urgent.

It was a rare sight from the tall boy, to be quite honest. "2-C, why?"

Kabaji exhaled out of relief, and suddenly he seemed a little nervous. "My friend...my best friend is new here, and she's in your class. Can you keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't get into any trouble?"

A new student? Choutarou couldn't remember any transfer students in his class, perhaps he had missed them. "Of course, Kabaji-kun," he agreed. "What's his name?"

Before Kabaji could reply, Atobe came storming down the halls-another unusual sight, because Choutarou hadn't seen Atobe this annoyed looking since Tezuka had beaten Kite in middle school. He knew, however, that there was imminent hell from the way the older boy strode.

Atobe stopped directly in front of Kabaji, arms crossed and forbearing. "Where is that girl?" He demanded evenly yet with a dangerous undertone.

_Does he mean Akechi-senpai__? _Choutarou was rather intimidated by the calculating and sly third year, knew that she could beat him in a match.

"Is she late?" Kabaji asked concernedly, straightening up immediately.

"Yes, she is, in fact. Sorano-san says she missed practice this morning and everybody was worried. She hasn't told me anything, but has she sent you a message explaining why she's late?"

Choutarou frowned. That didn't sound like Akechi Yuuka. Why would she have texted Kabaji instead of Atobe, whom she remained very close with even after their breakup?

Kabaji hastily fished his phone out of his bag, opened the screen. Reported, "She says she's still jetlagged from the plane ride, but that she's arriving in fifteen minutes."

Atobe scoffed, shook his head wearily. "That girl..." he trailed off. Then, without so much as a goodbye, he whirled on his heel and left just as quickly as he'd come.

Slowly, Choutarou turned to Kabaji, confusion written all over his face. "Um, Kabaji-kun...what just happened?"

**~xXx~**

Five minutes into homeroom, a girl with pale brown hair stumbled in, smiling sheepishly. Araki-sensei, class 2-C's homeroom teacher, beckoned her forth, handed her a piece of chalk to write her name on the board. "This is Yoshida Airi-san, a transfer student from London," Araki introduced. "You can be Ootori-kun's seatmate."

_Ah, _Choutarou thought as Airi sat down_, so that's Kabaji-kun's friend._

He was about to introduce himself, but she beat him to it, flashing a bright smile. "Hi, you're Munehiro's teammate aren't you? I saw you in some pictures he sent me," she said in a friendly manner. "Munehiro mentioned that your serve's the best in the high school circuit."

"Oh? Kabaji-kun thinks so?" Choutarou perked up, smiled in return. Yoshida Airi's smiles were infectious, and he wondered whether her laugh would be equally so. "Well, nobody can beat his copying abilities. The first time he copied Mukahi-senpai's jumps, I swear everybody went silent at the fact that he could jump so high."

Airi shook her head as she laughed. She really did have an infectious laugh too. Not quite delicate or airy, but still charming. "Typical Mune," she said fondly. "Oh wait, I didn't catch your name."

"Ootori Choutarou." He said, whlie simultaneously thinking, _I don't know what Kabaji-kun was talking about. Yoshida-san could get into trouble very long for the life of her."_

He didn't know how wrong he was.

**~xXx~**

Atobe shook a threatening finger at the girl in front of him. "You," he said evenly yet dangerously, "are not allowed to be late _ever _again, you hear me Airi?" School had just ended, and Atobe had dragged Airi over to his study chambers the minute she'd stepped out of her classroom.

She glared back stubbornly. "Whatever happened to 'three strikes and you're out'? I've only been late twice, and yesterday that was because you said I could—" Atobe cut her off. "I said you could skip school yesterday because you were jet lagged, but you still had to make it to tryouts on time. And you would have been forced to forfeit had I not explained to Sakaki-sensei that you were too busy drooling on your pillow and sleep talking about the 'dreamy eyes' of some boy you like."

"That was _once _Keigo-senpai, stop bringing it back up! How would you feel if I told everyone about that time your hair got dyed orange and permed?"

Before Atobe could retort or react (though he did pale by a few shades), a drawling voice interrupted. "My my, it's very active in here," a girl with purple and pink dyed hair purred, slinking like an alley cat over to the plush couches.

He rolled his eyes in an affectionate manner. "Yuuka-chan, weren't your privileges taken away?" He chided not unkindly.

The girl merely smirked back, twisting a lock of dyed hair around her finger in a way that was not cute but almost predatory, had there not been an fond gleam to her eye. "When have you been able to keep me away, Keigo-kun?" She replied, stretching out on her back.

Airi was beyond confused at this point. _Keigo-senpai…actually has a girlfriend? _Her eyes watched the older girl carefully. _Awesome hair, but I wouldn't expect her to be his type_. "Are you two a couple?" She checked, just in case they weren't and she made a fool of herself by assuming so.

Yuuka only widened her smirk. "We have history," she stated vaguely, tucking her arms behind her head. "History older than you, Yoshida Airi." Her green, eden colored eyes were sparkling, but not in the typical lovey-dovey princess way. They were absorbing, calculative eyes, made for measuring angles and deriving formulas. The eyes of a genius, or perhaps a madwoman.

"They dated for four years and broke up last year, she means," a new voice sighed. Airi recognized the person as Oshitari Yuushi, Atobe's best friend. They'd met a few times before, and she rather liked the blue haired boy, even if his fake glasses were weird and he kind of seemed like a pervert.

Atobe cleared his throat, gesturing between the two girls. "Airi, this is my ex girlfriend, Akechi Yuuka. You already know who she is, Yuuka-chan." He introduced.

"Wait what? How?" Airi yelped in shock. Was this "Yuuka-chan" a stalker? Or a secret agent from the Yakuza? She kind of looked the agent type, to be honest.

"Did you not see the list yesterday? Or the person hanging it up?" Yuuka drawled as she leaned back against the cushions. "I'm your teammate, Yoshida."

Oh. That made sense. Airi could feel her face warming up, dumbstruck. _Day 2 in Japan, already made a fool of myself in front of Keigo-senpai's ex/my new teammate. Good job girl, A+ and a golden star._

Oshitari spoke up. "Before I get distracted any more, I believe it would be wise to inform you all of the real reason why I came here." Turning to Atobe, he said, "Sakaki-sensei is holding a meeting for both teams to attend. Which we should get to in about—" he checked his watch "—two minutes."

Yuuka bared her teeth, curled up into a catlike sleeping position. "Have I ever expressed how much I _hate _that old man?" she muttered in disgust. "You three go ahead, tell him that I won't be coming because I can't stand being in the same room as him."

Atobe and Oshitari merely exchanged a knowing glance. The former crouched down in front of the girl and snapped his fingers. "Up, Yuuka-chan," he said fondly, unflinching even when her eden eyes flashed out at him menacingly. When she curled up even more, he picked her up bridal style and marched right out of the room, leaving Airi gaping after them like a fish.

"What the hell…did Keigo-senpai seriously just pick up a girl like that?" She spluttered. Then she giggled, unable to control herself. The prospect was just too hilarious for her to handle.

Oshitari exhaled what could be called a mix between a laugh and a sigh. "That's Atobe and Akechi-san for you," he shook his head. "I'll never understand why they broke up. Though we should get going as well, unless you'd like Sakaki-sensei's impression of you to worsen."

"He has a bad impression of me?" Airi yelped for what seemed the fifth time in the past ten minutes. At Oshitari's amused chuckle, she blushed with the realization that he'd just been kidding.

"I must warn you though," he spoke seriously, "Sakaki-sensei has been a bit out of sorts lately, so try not to made any sassy comments or argue with him, all right Yoshida-chan?"

Airi nodded, perplexed. From what she'd heard from Atobe and Kabaji, Sakaki Tarou was a level headed, kind yet extremely strict coach. What could knock him off balance?

**~xXx~**

"Honestly Keigo, you can probably put me down now," Yuuka sighed. She hadn't expected him to pick her up like that, and like some cats, did not like being picked up or coddled.

Atobe merely rolled his eyes. "If I were to do that, you would make sure to walk behind me, and then you would sneak off so you don't have to listen to Sakaki-sensei talk. Correct?"

She shrugged, or did the closest she could to shrugging in her current position. "I don't like the man, all right?" She snapped defensively.

"I believe your exact words were that you hated the 'old man' and couldn't stand being in the same room as him."

"Oh shut up, Keigo."

To Yuuka, characterizing people didn't fall into "good or bad", but "felidae and canidae". Different people were different members of the felidae or canidae family. Yuuka and Atobe were both felidae, as were most Hyotei students. But whereas Atobe was so clearly the absolute king of lions (or perhaps a snow leopard or Siberian tiger), Yuuka was a wildcat.

(Himura Shun was a jungle cat, solitary and alone and a wildcat's main competitor)

Students who were milling around in the hall turned to look at them, whispering excitedly to each other. Where Atobe and Akechi back together? Or was he forcing her? Maybe they had never even broken up in the first place!

The only thing she hated more than those who lacked common sense were those who lacked common sense and gossiped.

"Keigo, put me down." And this time he obliged, matching his pace with hers so she couldn't run away.

_Lions and wildcats just aren't meant to be, my king._

**~xXx~**

After Sakaki had finished giving rather unnecessary formal introductions, he immediately turned to Tsukiko. "In honor of Miura-san's wishes, I've decided to make a deal with your team," he said bluntly, crossing his arms and giving her a level stare.

Tsukiko nodded warily. A deal? And just what were Miura's wishes? If there was one thing she knew, it was that Hyotei's tennis teams more or less resembled wolf packs, and Miura had been the Alpha. Strong and powerful and reliable, but could turn on you at any second, could make you a loner with one snarl. Sakaki Tarou was only the Beta.

Thank god she hadn't invested much time in snarling. That was Yuuka's job.

"Her first wish was that if a regular loses, they will not be taken off the team, but will be if they do not represent Hyotei Academy in a good manner."

Shun's eye roll was visible to all, yet Sakaki chose to ignore her. Tsukiko shot her a sympathetic look. Despite the fact that Yuuka absolutely _hated _her and Erena was also not very keen about her either, Tsukiko herself didn't mind Shun. She was an excellent player, after all, and had been appointed vice captain for a reason.

"Secondly, Miura-san wanted Akechi-san to run drills and training regimens, since she believes that you are most suited to do so." Yuuka, who did not look particularly suited to the job in her current head resting on the table position, just nodded lazily.

"Finally," here Sakaki looked tired and weary, like he'd given up on something before having even started. He ran a hand through his hair. "Finally, since she believes me to be inadequate as your coach, she wants Sorano-san and Himura-san to take that position together."

**~xXx~**

"No shit," Yuuka hissed the minute they stepped out of the clubroom. "Of course that old man isn't set for the job, what the hell was the school board thinking when they assigned him to it?"

Though silver tongued and cryptic, Yuuka could not be accused of being a liar. When she hated someone she hated them, end of the story.

Such was the case now, Tsukiko thought with equal parts wryness and affection.

"I wonder what could have changed his mind though," Shiina Ikue commented. She had been the winner from Block E and was well liked by the general population yet unremarkable otherwise. "I heard from someone that he was trying to convince Miura-sensei that he would be capable as our coach."

Tsukiko felt a pang in her heart at the mention of Miura Fuyuko. Of all the people in the world, why did it have to be her? Why had she been punished for something that wasn't her fault?

As she opened her mouth to respond, however, Anna spoke up first. "Maybe he realized that he's not all hot stuff in the end," she muttered darkly, golden hair that had escaped her ponytail falling into her face. She could have been a princess, had her hazel eyes not been hardened and sharpened to a knight's sword point. "Whatever, I'm _glad_ he's not coaching us. Good riddance."

Ikue merely regarded her with a neutral face. Whereas Anna had pure golden hair, Ikue's was golden-brown, a much warmer color. There were two stripes of color on the left side, one blue and one green. Really, Tsukiko wondered, what was it with Hyotei students and dying their hair? Erena had her green highlights on the fringe, and Yuuka's purple to pink ombre was a story of its own.

Personality wise though, Tsukiko had never really grasped much on Ikue. Sure, she was nice and popular and had plenty of friends, but there was always something particularly detached about her. Ghostlike, floating around but never settling.

After a long moment of contemplation, she finally said, "Is that how you really feel, Hayashi-san?" as lightly and delicately put as a butterfly landing on a feather. Underneath however, lay a wildfire, dangerous and burning like a cloud of warning smoke.

Or perhaps, Tsukiko thought, as a plot twist, Ikue had finally found something interesting about Anna. For better or worse though, she did not know. Did not even want to risk guessing.

Shiina Ikue was a ghost girl, for all she knew.

**~xXx~**

Shun didn't understand why she was vice captain when her captain had not consulted her about her opinion for practice matches. Then again, why should she care? It wasn't as if she even wanted to be vice captain in the first place.

It had come to no surprise as to why Tsukiko was captain; she was an accomplished player and had a charisma that the other three lacked. So why on earth had Miura picked Shun and not Yuuka or Erena for the red haired girl's vice captain?

The answer was pretty simple. At least, it had seemed simple when Miura said it, just like everything that came out of her mouth. "It's because you're lonely, Himura, and I want you to make some friends," she'd said matter of factly. "You won't become any less lonely if you're always at the back of the crowd, no matter how good at tennis you are."

"But I don't care about friends. I'm fine this way," Shun had protested. "Fukumitsu-san would be a much better choice than me!"

Miura had just nodded carelessly. "Fukumitsu _would_ be a better choice, yes, but she doesn't need it. _You_, Himura Shun, need it."

"I don't need anything," she'd replied coldly, an icy hand gripping and suffocating her heart. "And I especially don't want to be vice captain, so make Fukumitsu-san or Akechi-san do it." She didn't even care if that damned Akechi Yuuka gloated about it, Shun did not want to vice captain, period.

Her feelings, however, did not seem to shake the black haired coach. "The decision has been made already," she said flatly. "At least spend a month as vice captain, and if you don't like it you can just quit the tennis club."

Quit the tennis club? Never. "This isn't fair!" She'd snapped, slamming her hands down on the table in anger. It didn't matter that Miura was a teacher and could give her detention or call her parents, none of it fucking mattered when tennis was involved. "Why are you making me do this, Miura-sensei, _why?_" Her voice rose to a shrill, fever pitch, not quite a shout but close enough.

Unfazed, Miura met her anguished topaz eyes with her own green ones, steady and unwavering. "Depending on the captain, vice captainship is an empty role. Sorano might need you to get started, but soon enough she'll pull ahead on her own. You won't even have to do anything, but you will still get something out of it."

"And I suppose you mean I'll finally get some friends?" Shun laughed harshly, tears of frustration welling up. "I've told you this so many times, sensei, but I don't give a damn about friends. Stop trying to make me care already!" She knew very well that she sounded like a spoiled child, stubborn and ranty and short tempered.

Miura tilted her head, nodded once. "I know you don't want friends, Himura," she said slowly but not patronizingly. More like a dangerous calm, one Shun knew she feared. "I made you vice captain because I want you to be more active instead of floating around somewhere by yourself, not necessarily for you to make friends." She took a deep breath, let out her final say. "And you will be vice captain, but given your personality and attitude, chances of you making friends are slim. So stop worrying."

And so she'd grudgingly admitted to being vice captain, but in a way it was a blessing in disguise. The role of vice captain, she'd found, was the loneliest position one could ever had. It meant being on a higher ground than the regulars but lower than the captain. The captain was the leader, they had everyone. The vice captain wasn't quite a leader but not quite a follower either, just someone that walked directly behind their captain. Couldn't talk to those higher without feeling so small, couldn't speak to those lower without feeling too big, that was what it meant to be stuck right in the middle. What it meant to be vice captain.

Tsukiko didn't even need her. She had Yuuka and Erena, the mastermind and the fairy queen. Soon enough she'd have the other members of the team too, Anna and Chizuru and Airi, and then she might finally feel important, finally believe herself fitting to be captain. Nobody had ever doubted her but herself.

That Shiina Ikue though, nobody would ever be able to take her for themselves. Shun envied her for that, saw a kindred spirit in the girl with two stripes of hair dye. If Yuuka had eternal intelligence, Ikue had eternal boredom that was disguised well underneath her friendly demeanor. Except when it came to tennis. Shun had seen her play enough times to know that she was anything but bored when she held a racquet in her hand.

But Shun didn't want to have anybody by her side, didn't want to come to depend on people. The category of other suited her just fine, lonely but not miserable.

**~xXx~**

"You know Hayashi-san, I really don't think you actually hate Sakaki-sensei," Ikue commented as they stood across the net from each other. "Up or down?"

Anna scoffed. "What do you know about me, Shiina? And down," she replied curtly. She'd only known her for fifteen minutes, and already she disliked the brunette. Well, she generally disliked a lot of people, but this girl especially.

Ikue spun the racquet, and sure enough Anna had won the call. "I'll serve," the blonde haired girl muttered, stalking back to baseline. _And then I'll teach you to go around provoking people like that_, _you bitch._

**~xXx~**

"Let's have a good match," Tsukiko smiled.

Kataoka Chizuru smiled in return, said, "Agreed, Sorano-buchou," with her pink eyes flashing. Chizuru was of average height for a second year, with lean muscles and an oval shaped face. Her auburn hair was curly, tied up in a high ponytail.

Tsukiko rather liked Chizuru, thought of her as hard working and dedicated, if not a bit overachieving. Like Atobe and Yuuka, she was on the honor roll and also competed in national piano competitions. As if that hadn't all been enough, now she was on the tennis team and had joined the track team. Some people had asked her how she handled all that, to which she'd just smile and wave it off, say that she had plenty of free time and no better way to spend it.

That, however, did not appear to be true. Whenever Tsukiko saw her outside of practice, she was always rushing somewhere with flustered cheeks and out of breath. A robot, some called her. A robot that was still capable of human emotions and actions but a robot nonetheless.

"Is there something wrong, Sorano-buchou? You've been zoning out for a while now," Chizuru asked concernedly.

She shook her head, taking note of the bags under the other girl's eyes. "Sorry, Chizuru-san. Let's get started already." _Summary of my team: A mastermind, a fairy queen, a ghost girl, an emotionally capable robot, a beauty queen, a loner vice captain, an Irish transfer, and me. Go team._

**~xXx~**

Shun glowered at the smirking girl in front of her. _Of course. Of fucking course. Of fucking course I had to be pitted against _her_. She probably even planned this, goddammit. Fuck my life_.

Usually she tried to convince herself that she didn't hate Yuuka, just simply disliked her. But that thought could never come through when actually being in a twenty foot radius of her. In times like this, she always found herself mentally burning holes in the mastermind's head and throwing bombs at her.

And that Akechi Yuuka, all she ever did was smirk back in return. Smirk and drawl and snark because you knew she was better, always ahead of you mentally.

Shun wanted nothing more than to slap that smirk off her face, never wanted to see it ever again.

While many associated her with a wildcat, all smooth and slinky and snarky, Shun thought of her more as a silver tongued snake. Or maybe a hybrid between the two, a silver tongued wildcat. She twisted and caressed her words so _easily _it terrified everyone. This girl was deathly intelligent, spoke so cunningly, was there nothing she could not handle with only words?

"Hey Himura," Yuuka said, baring her teeth, "you'd better take this seriously. I'd hate to win knowing you let me."

Shun scoffed. "As if," she countered. Snapped, "I'd never let you win. I'd never let _anyone_ win if they don't deserve it."

That kind of comment with that tone would have been enough to intimidate anyone, had it not been this particular girl. Yuuka lived off of snark and sarcasm, thrived from challenge and threats. She would not and could not ever fall to a retort that minor because she was always better, always always better and ahead of you mentally.

She bared her teeth again, eyes glinting in the silent battle cry of a silver tongued wildcat.

**~xXx~**

Airi regarded the tall third year in front of her curiously. Took in the pixie cut and green highlighted fringe, the artfully aligned face. Most importantly, the black wrist supporter that looked so out of place on this deity like girl's left arm.

She appeared to notice what Airi was looking at, much to the latter's embarrassment. The tall girl just shrugged, as if to say _what can you do about it? _and extended her left hand. "Hi, I'm Fukumitsu Erena," she introduced. Airi, who was a good six inches shorter, had to bend her head back to see her face this close. "Yuushi's mentioned you before."

"Really?" Airi was shocked. She'd only met Oshitari two or three times before she'd moved here. Was Erena close with him?

The older girl only offered a small smile. "Tsukiko says you're a good kid, that you've got a lot of potential. Good luck." That perked her up a little. Sorano Tsukiko seemed like the type of person you wanted on her good side, plus she was respected as captain.

Looking at Erena though, Airi wondered if she should try getting on _her _good side. "Yeah, good luck," she agreed.

She'd just have to find out after the match was over, hopefully when she'd beaten her.

**~xXx~**

"Is there a reason why you convinced Sakaki-sensei to leave early and let us run self practice when we're not actually practicing?" Oshitari sighed, rubbing his forehead.

Said Hiyoshi with enough dryness to evaporate the Pacific Ocean, "When does Atobe-buchou ever need a reason for his actions?"

Atobe promptly ignored him, turned to Oshitari. "Because, Oshitari, I would hate for you all to miss something so exciting."

"You call this exciting?" Shishido scoffed, though he was leaning forward in interest. "It's just practice matches between the girls."

"My point exactly, Shishido." That earned a grunt and an eye roll out of the capped boy.

Mukahi, however, had clasped onto a plausible reason. Pointing an accusing finger at Atobe, he said, "You're just here because you want to watch your ex-girlfriend," he smirked devilishly.

"I do not know what you're talking about, Mukahi," was Atobe's flippant response. "In truth, I was planning on paying attention to Airi's match-" he peered closer at her court, saw who she was playing. "-but it would appear that the result has been settled long ago."

Oshitari glanced at the fourth court. "Oh for the love of God, why did Yoshida-chan have to play Erena?" He sighed sadly, tsking as he shook his head.

Choutarou shot a concerned look at him. "Why? What's with Fukumitsu-senpai, she seems nice enough?" He asked curiously. At the very same time, Shishido said, "Trash talking your ex now, Oshitari?" with dryness that rivaled Hiyoshi's.

Atobe ignored Shishido, smirked a little and gestured to Jirou's sleeping form. "Why don't you ask him? He certainly knows what's with her."

"Huh?" Jirou mumbled sleepily, shooting up. He rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Did I miss something?"

"No, you didn't," Mukahi said hastily. "Go back to sleep."

And Jirou did just that.

**~xXx~**

It was still a little too early to head home, so for some unexplainable reason, Sakaki found himself headed towards the apartment building a few blocks away from the school. _This is a terrible idea, a terrible idea, idiot_ he kept telling himself, but it was no use.

He knocked on the door, heard a faint set of footsteps making their way over. When the door opened, the woman on the other side gazed at him in shock, hand going to her mouth.

Sakaki managed a small, stiff smile. "Hello, Miura-san." _It's time to confront the Alpha._

**~xXx~**

**End**

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N: **And every main character was introduced! If necessary I can write some mini bios of my characters, like short descriptions about what they look like and little snippets about their actions.

Once again, which characters stood out, since they all made an appearance (though some were definitely spotlighted more than others), and which ones seem the most interesting?

Please leave a review if you liked it!

-Cara


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis, just the OCs.

**A/N: **Oh hello everybody. This was originally going to be two shorter chapters but I didn't like it that way so I combined them. Also, here's a list of some things that may or may not be very important (yeah, they're not that important. Please feel free to skip over the next part)

Some Things Cara Has Recently Realized

1) She sucks at writing detailed tennis matches.

2) Half her OCs have brown hair.

3) Atobe actually has brown hair, so although she said he had gray hair in the first chapter, he shall have brown hair from now on

4) Yuuka and Shun appear to be very popular, hmm...

* * *

**~xXx~**

_"The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it but that it is too low and we reach it." -Michelangelo_

**~xXx~**

"Game and set, Sorano! 6-4!"

_Damn_, Chizuru thought as she drank from her water bottle. She eyed the red haired girl who was wiping her face with a towel. _Sorano-buchou's too much for me._

Though Chizuru had held her serve for the first game, she'd lost the next three in a row due to Tsukiko's high stamina and level headedness. She'd managed to bring the score to 4-5 and had been poised to win the next game but made an unforced error by hitting a forehand into the net. Tsukiko had won the last game easily, taking the set with it.

They hadn't even started the second set yet, and the curly haired second year was already worn out. The captain, on the other hand, had barely broken a sweat. Damn her stamina.

It came to no surprise that Tsukiko won the second set at a quick 6-2.

"Good match, Chizuru-san," she smiled kindly, and Chizuru just could not bring herself to be angry at her. Captain Sorano was simply better, that was all there was to it. "Your forehand's really something, and that backhand's gotten a lot better. Just try to work on your volleys a little more, get some more angle and you'll be all set," Tsukiko suggested.

"Thanks, Sorano-buchou," she nodded, though what she was really thinking was, _I get that you're captain, but that doesn't mean you can talk down to me like that, Sorano-buchou_

Chizuru liked Tsukiko, she really did, but the one thing she couldn't stand was losing. And she had lost horribly to her. It simply wasn't acceptable.

_Unacceptable, Chizuru, plain unacceptable._

She didn't know if it was her own voice saying that or not.

Even worse, when she turned to look at the boys in the bleachers, the only one that mattered wasn't watching. _Why won't you notice me_, she thought wistfully, staring at a boy with silver hair and brown eyes. _If I didn't exist, would you even care? Would you notice?_

But it was pointless to think those thoughts. They were desperate and overdramatic and stupid, stupid, stupid.

**~xXx~**

Anna was not happy. The service ace that whizzed by her wasn't helping, either.

"Game, Shiina! 4-3!"

"Shit," she swore quietly. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit."

Ikue happened to hear the string of profanity as they walked past each other to switch sides. "Careful, Hayashi-san," she commented, violet eyes glinting in an almost overbearing way. "You might just get attacked if you let yourself get carried away."

_Too late for that, _Anna thought sarcastically, shooting daggers at the back of Ikue's head. She already felt like she'd been attacked, stabbed through the middle and gutted out. The first set had gone smoothly at first, both holding serve until 2-2. Then Ikue had gone all out, serving aces after aces and using quick footwork to return every shot. Anna had managed to make a small comeback and brought it to a tiebreak, only to lose that 3-7.

She'd remembered far too late that Ikue had made it as a regular last year. Due to the complaints of a third year who'd been trying out since middle school, however, she had given her the spot, saying that it had been a close match between them. And while Ushijima-senpai had been a good player, she hadn't been good enough, losing to a Rikkai first year in the Kantou finals. Many had blamed Ushijima for the loss, though some even thought it was Ikue's fault.

Looking at her now, Anna didn't know how this could be the same girl that had willingly given up her spot.

**~xXx~**

A heavy storm was raging while Airi was clinging for her life on the edge of a jagged cliff. Fukumitsu Erena was stepping on her fingers, crushing them under the heel of her shoe to make her let go.

"Fifteen-thirty!"

Okay, so maybe that was an overstatement (she'd managed to hit a spectacularly angled volley that Erena couldn't even touch). Still, she'd lost the first set at an abysmal score of 6-1, and was poised to lose the next game at 1-3. The fifth game, to be more accurate.

Way back in Ireland, before she'd even moved to London, her very first coach had explained to her the importance of the fifth game. By then, the score would be 0-4, 1-3, or 2-2. That fifth game would determine if the loser still stood a chance, if the gap between the scores got bigger, or who took the lead. Every game, every point was important, yes, but that fifth game especially. One did not want to be the loser of the fifth game.

Except, against a player like Fukumitsu Erena, you did not want to be the loser of a single _point_, period. Within the first two points, Airi had come to to conclusion that while her forehand was wickedly powerful, her left arm was not strong enough to play with, that perhaps her backhand was the weak link. Then she got a taste of that one handed backhand and knew that this girl had no weak link. None whatsoever. Every shot she hit was onehanded yet somehow, that one arm was enough. How Airi had even won a game, she did not know.

Between the sets, she'd asked Erena why she didn't use her left arm. The answer had been simple. "I can still use it to hold and pick up things, and I used to have a two handed backhand when I was little. But then it got broken and didn't heal all the way, so I just got used to hitting onehanded backhands," she'd shrugged as if the brace on her wrist didn't bother her.

Airi admired that greatly.

It seemed like there was nothing Erena couldn't do. She wasn't the fastest on the team—Airi had seen that Himura Shun during laps— but still pretty damn so. That backhand had astonishing power and speed to it, and that forehand? Completely out of this world. Her net play was also solid, reflexes fast and eyes sharp.

A counterpuncher's speed, an aggresive baseliner's power, and a volleyer's quick thinking. Fukumitsu Erena was the complete all rounder.

The storm raged on harder than ever, and Airi was barely keeping hold of the edge.

**~xXx~**

"Fifteen-forty!" As Erena's backhand sliced cross court.

"Gotta admit though," Shishido muttered, "that Yoshida's pretty good." Although having lost the first set horribly and the current one was going no better, she still held her own better than other girls had against Erena.

Atobe nodded, though his expression lacked the usual smirk as he watched the match carefully. "What makes you think I'd be friends with a weakling, commoner?" He replied distantly, heart not in the jab.

Shishido didn't even bother looking at him.

"Thirty-forty!" Airi's drive volley was simply too much.

Oshitari raised a brow at Atobe. "I didn't know Yoshida-chan was a serve and volleyer?" he commented, faintly surprised. He had been told by Atobe and Kabaji that Airi was an all court player, yet volleys were clearly her forte.

"She isn't," to everyone's surprise, it was Kabaji who had spoken up instead of Atobe. "Airi is an all rounder, but her volleys are her main weapons," he explained.

"Then why not just use serve and volley, if her volleys are so much better?" Jirou cut in for the first time, causing Choutarou to jump a foot in the air. Nobody had even realized he was awake.

Atobe shrugged elegantly. "I've never asked. Perhaps it's because while she has a natural gift for volleys, she tried too hard to play like us," he gestured between himself and Kabaji. After a second's consideration, he added, "Though I would agree that it would be more beneficial to have her play serve and volley. Perhaps Jirou could guide her."

Shishido scoffed, jerking his chin towards Jirou. "In case you haven't noticed Atobe, he's asleep again." True enough, the sleepy volleyer was knocked out again.

"Forty all!"

"Oh?" Atobe murmured, leaning forward in interest. "It appears Airi is making a comeback, right Kabaji?"

"Yes."

It was Hiyoshi's turn to scoff. "I would hardly call that a comeback," he muttered, unimpressed. He knew for a fact that he couldn't beat Fukumitsu Erena, but also knew that he could play Yoshida Airi evenly.

Kabaji spoke up again for the second time. "You just wait and see, Hiyoshi-kun," he replied. His dark eyes were different, shining for once in a way that didn't make him look as robotic, more alive. Proud, even.

"Advantage server!"

On the court, Airi took a deep breath. When she served, it slid low and quickly, Erena managing to get her racquet on it but returning just centimeters out.

"Game, Yoshida! 2-3!"

Yes, Kabaji was very proud. He knew his best friend would come through, win or lose.

**~xXx~**

"Game, set, and match, Shiina! 7-6, 7-6!"

Anna was exhausted. She wanted to curl up in a fetal position and just stay that way forever, but she also didn't want Ikue to know she felt so defeated. Not after she'd poured all her rage into that last set, fueled her anger to make each shot flatter and faster, each serve blazing down the tee. How the _hell_ had she lost when she'd just played like that?

Where she was fiery rage Shiina Ikue was cool rainwater, washing down all of her efforts.

The second tiebreaker had been much closer than the first, and Anna had even been up 6-4 at one point. And then somehow, Ikue brought it to 6-6 and gained the momentum, winning 10-8. It just. Wasn't. Fair.

"Don't be angry, Hayashi-san," Ikue said as they shook hands. "Everybody loses."

_Bitch_, Anna thought for the seventieth time that day. "Yeah, I know," she replied curtly. _I know better than you do._

Ikue looked as if she was going to say something else, then stopped, violet eyes sympathetic for once. "It's not me you're mad at," she finally said, twisting her racquet around in her hands. "It's not me, and it's not Sakaki-sensei either, and I don't think you're mad at yourself."

Anna glared, hazel eyes hardened to spear points. "So what? Trying to psychoanalyze me? Maybe you should talk to Akechi about that, since that seems to be her forte."

"No," the golden-brown haired girl shook her head, stopped twisting her racquet. "It's just the truth."

She wanted to say something else, wanted to yell at Ikue for knowing these things about her that she didn't want others to know. But she didn't. Instead, Anna sighed, let her rigid posture relax. "Yeah, I know."

_I know better than you do_.

**~xXx~**

"Game, set, and match, Akechi! 6-4, 6-3!"

Yuuka descended from her finishing smash, rested her racquet on her shoulder. Shun, on the other hand, was on her hands and knees after trying to return it, knees skinned and palms scraped. It was so embarrassing. She could feel the pain from her minor injuries, but more from the hot shame that washed over her.

"Great match, Himura," Yuuka said, for once sounding the slightest bit sincere. She extended her free hand to help her up.

Shun just glared at her, topaz eyes aflame. "Fuck off, Akechi," she spat, grabbing her racquet and briskly striding off the court.

"Hey!" she heard Yuuka call. "Did I say anything to deserve that reaction? I don't think so!"

"Oh fuck off," Shun repeated under her breath, shoving past the swinging door. On her way out, however, she was surprised to find Tsukiko waiting with a weary expression.

"Since you clearly have some anger to walk off, why don't you accompany Erena and go to the sports equipment store and pick up our official uniforms?" Tsukiko didn't so much suggest as she kindly ordered, tone strict but eyes soft.

Shun just looked at her. Yes, she was angry. Very, very, angry. It was just that today, she'd lost to Yuuka worse than she'd ever lost to her before. Every time they played each other, they'd always had to play three sets, and half the time she even won. What was wrong with her today, why hadn't she been playing up to her normal standards?

Or perhaps, she thought wryly, Yuuka had simply overpassed her normal standards.

"Fine," Shun sighed, hanging her head down pathetically. _Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic. _"I'll go."

Tsukiko nodded, reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder. "Good."

**~xXx~**

"I'm telling you Tsuki, I didn't do anything to make her that mad," Yuuka said immediately upon Tsukiko's entrance. God forbid, did she look _guilty _for once in her life? That, Tsukiko thought amusedly, was a moment for the scrapbook. _At almost eighteen years old, the genius that is Akechi Yuuka has finally felt some remorse and guilt. And it only took her eighteen years!_

The red haired captain just shrugged. "Of course you didn't, Yuuka. I came so I could watch the end of your match, but it had already finished by the time I got here. Everybody else finished up already, and Erena went to pick up uniforms."

Yuuka's eyes lit up in the familiar information gathering way of hers. "What were the scores?" she asked, intrigued. Apparently Himura Shun was no longer of her concern, now that there were other more interesting topics at hand.

"Shiina-san beat Hayashi-san with two tiebreakers, and I beat Chizuru-san 6-4 and 6-2. As for Erena and Airi-chan…" Tsukiko trailed off, shook her head. "The poor girl lost the first set at 6-1, but played a little better the second one at 6-3."

The eden eyed girl nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I'd like to test her out myself," she mused.

Tsukiko shrugged. "Next time Yuuka, next time," she chided. "Airi-chan seemed a little tired after playing Erena. Those volleys of hers though are something else."

"Better than Hayashi's?"

That took a second to contemplate. "I have no idea, actually. Maybe they should play next time. Or maybe Airi-chan against Shun-san, that would be interesting."

Suddenly, Yuuka stopped dead in her tracks, face shockingly dead serious. She'd even lost the calculative gleam to her eyes. "Himura was distracted today. It would have been a lot tougher if she'd been on her game."

Tsukiko raised a brow. "How do you know that for sure, Yuuka? Maybe you've gotten a lot better?" she pointed out.

Yuuka shook her head. "Trust me on this. I've studied her enough times to know. And I want a rematch"

**~xXx~**

Miura poured tea into two mugs, one for herself and one for Sakaki. He was standing in the middle of the living room/kitchen/bedroom/gallery, taking in his surroundings warily.

Really, it was embarrassing. She bet every Hyotei teacher lived in a mansion or at least a big house. Miura Fuyuko owned a studio apartment that was crammed with paintings and sketches all over the walls. It wasn't because she was poor, what with the wages of Hyotei teachers being more than generous. She just didn't think it was necessary to own a huge mansion all to herself.

(Though she suspected that that Atobe boy's father owned enough mansions to have one for each member of the family)

"Please, sit down," she said, pulling out two chairs at the table. Sakaki nodded a bit awkwardly, taking his mug of tea and settling down. With his smart business suit and combed back hair, he looked far too fancy to be in her studio apartment.

Miura, who was wearing dark jeans and a casual blouse, cautiously took a sip. She had a feeling what he was going to talk about. "Is there something wrong with the team?" She asked.

His first response was to sigh, then slouch down a little. "I've told them that Sorano and Himura will be running the team, since half of them so clearly dislike me," Sakaki admitted, rubbing at his eyes.

Miura had to cover back a laugh. "It's Akechi-san isn't it?" A weary nod. "And Hayashi Anna?" Another nod. "Himura doesn't like you either, right?" A third. "Well, Kataoka-san can't possibly hate you, can she? You are the one helping her with music competitions." She pointed out.

"Yes, well one out of eight isn't very-" Suddenly he jolted upright, stared at her incredulously. "How do you know Kataoka and Hayashi are on the team?"

She winked. "Just a guess. I'm guessing Shiina and Fujimura also made it."

Fujimura? Ah yes, Fujimura Haruko, who had been in Yoshida's block. "Shiina made it, yes. Fujimura, however, lost to a transfer student, Yoshida Airi from London. She's childhood friends with Atobe and Kabaji," Sakaki explained.

The raven haired woman frowned slightly. "Interesting," was all she said, wistful and forlorn. She wanted to be the one coaching the team, he knew, not Sorano and Himura, and definitely not him.

_Alpha's got her pride, got her teeth and claws and growls._

It was now or never, Sakaki decided. "Miura-san, if you don't mind me asking, why...why were you fired?"

She fixed her green eyes on him, cold and retreating but not asking for mercy. That look was identical to the one embedded in Hayashi's hazel eyes, cold and icy and capable of stabbing someone.

"I wasn't fired. I quit on my own accord," she snapped, setting down her mug harshly.

He ignored the painful sound it made, leaned forward. "_Why _did you quit, Miura?" That made even less sense than her being fired. Hadn't she been happy? Hadn't she always been powerful and reliable and _happy_?_  
_

For a moment he thought she was going to tell him the truth, admit something that he hadn't been aware of before. Then she shook her head, stood up and gestured towards the door. "I believe you've overstayed your invitation, Sakaki-kun. Please leave my apartment now."

_Alpha's just kicked another out of her pack. Beta's gone, gone, gone._

**~xXx~**

As she was leaving the changing room, Airi caught sight of a head of auburn hair. "Hey, Kataoka-san!" she called, jogging up to her.

Chizuru turned too quickly, causing all the books and folders in her arms to fall to the ground. "Shit," she mumbled, getting down on her hands and knees to pick them all up.

Airi got down and helped her. "Sorry about that, Kataoka-san," she apologized. "I just came up to say hi."

"It's alright, Yoshida-san," the auburn haired girl smiled tiredly. "What are you still doing here though? Practice ended two hours ago."

"Oh yeah, that. I was going to stay behind and work on some serves or hit with a ball machine you know, since I lost pretty badly to Fukumitsu-senpai, but then Hayashi-senpai was already there self practicing and she didn't look like she wanted to be disturbed. And then Wakata-sensei had to talk to me about something, and Keigo-senpai and Munehiro already left, and I'd forgotten something in the changing room, so-."

Overwhelmed and a little amused, Chizuru cut in. "And somehow two hours had already passed?" She laughed softly.

The other second year blinked, and then flashed a crooked smile. "Yeah, pretty much," she laughed as well. "But why are you still here, Kataoka-san?" Airi asked curiously, eyeing the sheet of paper in her hands. "Piano music? I didn't know you were a musician too."

Chizuru shrugged, averting her eyes self consciously. "Yeah, sort of. I guess you can say my piano playing's better than my tennis," she murmured quietly.

"Really? Do you compete then? I had a friend in London who participated in flute playing competitions."

"Yeah, I do. Sakaki-sensei's actually friends with my teacher, and he helps us get ready for competitions," Chizuru admitted.

Airi picked up the last fallen book, studied the cover. "Jesus, Chizuru-san, you're on the honors course like Munehiro?" She gulped at the mere thought.

"And track team too." Chizuru added, mentally raising a brow. _She's calling me by my first name when just seconds ago it was still Kataoka-san? Okay then…_

"That's amazing," Airi grinned, handing the advanced textbook to her. "How can you handle all that? I mean, I can hardly get up in the morning even when I set an alarm, which Keigo-senpai so stubbornly refuses to let go of."

Chizuru shrugged in an attempt at nonchalance. "I just have a lot of free time, that's all," she mumbled. Did Yoshida Airi ever stop? Then again, she was just being friendly, so it wasn't that bad, but Chizuru really wanted to go home. Wanted to bury her head in her pillow and contemplate her life and cry any tears she wasn't allowed to cry out in the real world.

As if her prayer had just been granted, Airi stood up, checked her watch. "Well, I should probably be getting back soon. See you later, Chizuru-san!" She called cheerfully, waving as she ran off.

It took Chizuru a couple seconds to register what had just happened, and when it did she smiled softly. The other second year might have thought she was impressive, but Chizuru really found her spirit inspiring.

She really wanted to be friends with Yoshida Airi.

"Hey, um, Yoshida-san!" the words slipped out of her mouth before she could think things over. Airi turned expectantly. "Um, actually...would you like to come over to my place?" The words were so, so, desperate it hurt. So desperate and pathetic and stupid, stupid, stupid.

But Airi was not one to judge or patronize. All she said was "Sure" and to Chizuru's shock, took one of her many schoolbags and carried it herself.

Chizuru wasn't like Shun or Ikue. She had plenty of friends, plenty of nice people who had common interests and opinions. One more friend, however, couldn't possibly hurt.

**~xXx~**

Anna knew she was probably the biggest sore loser on the planet. Actually, sore _everything_, because she just couldn't bring herself to be happy with any results. Win a match? Cool. Lose a match? The opponent's a bitch that deserves hell.

She didn't want to ever lose again, the next time Tsukiko decided to hold practice matches. She didn't even care about winning, as long as she _did not fucking lose._

_Bam! _Her serve rocketed cross court...except it was out.

_Bam! _In, but barely.

_Bam! _Out again.

_Bam! _Finally, straight down the middle. It would have been a perfect ace.

She remembered the last time she'd lost at something so big, remembered the sympathetic look in her sister's eyes, the cold anger in her mother's. How she'd declared that she was done, done with everything and just wanted to play tennis. How she'd been scoffed at.

_You won't be much better at tennis, kid. Trust me on that. With that attitude, you won't make it anywhere in life. And after I've spent so much time on this, so much fucking time getting you ready and signing you up. That stunt of yours was absolutely disgraceful and disrespectful, and I won't deal with it anymore. You're not the only who's quit, Anna, I've quit on you._

_Anna..._

She squeezed her hand into a fist, closed her eyes for just a second. Just one second of peace.

_You'll be okay, Anna, I know you will._

_Maybe, _she thought dryly, opening her eyes, _maybe I'm going schizophrenic or something_.

When she reached for another ball, she found the basket was empty, empty, empty.

**~xXx~**

"Here to pick up the uniforms for Hyotei Gakuen, please." Erena said, showing her Hyotei ID.

"Ah, yes. Wait here a moment, I'll be right back out."

As the cashier bustled into the back room, Shun exhaled and leaned against the wall, feeling so tired and drained. Why had she been forced to play Yuuka today? Even worse, why had she lost so badly?

It wasn't actually that bad of a score, actually, but she knew for a fact that they were even in skill level. It always took three sets and usually one or two tiebreakers, so what was wrong with her today, losing in straight sets?

Well, things could have been worse. At least she was here with Erena and not Yuuka. Though she had a feeling that Erena didn't like her that much either, at least she didn't hate her. Shun could deal with that.

At that moment, the bells on the door jingled as two people walked in. Shun ignored them, so tired she was tempted to curl up on the floor right there and fall asleep. It didn't sound like a bad idea, actually. She allowed herself to close her eyes but remained leaning against the wall, relishing the moment of relaxation.

"I thought you said you knew your way around Tokyo, Hana," a girl's voice said, calm and smooth with an undertone of amusement. "Maybe spending too much time in Kanagawa has confused you."

Shun frowned but didn't open her eyes. What were people from Kanagawa doing here, at this hour?

The voice that replied was anything but smooth and calm, almost bristling and defensive. "Well I'm sorry I haven't been here for six years, Nori-chan," she muttered. "Being at Rikkai makes you forget some things."

_Rikkai._

Her eyes flew open, landed on the two girls wearing Rikkai uniforms walking towards the counter. Erena's did too, she noticed.

_Holy shit_.

Both of them were blonde, but that was where similarities ended. The taller one had thick, well taken care of dark blonde hair sweeping down to the middle of her back in a glossy sheet. Her facial features were very good looking with arched eyebrows, a healthy complexion, and fierce amber eyes. Pretty like a lioness, someone you'd admire but also felt wary of getting lashed out at.

The other girl was of average height and a slender but stable build. She was pale pale pale from her snowy complexion to her light blonde hair, but her eyebrows were darker and she had unreadable teal eyes. It occurred to Shun that if Erena was the fairy queen, this girl was the snow queen, all wintry paleness.

The girl with dark blonde hair happened to notice them, amber eyes glancing over their uniforms and smiled in a similar but much different version of Yuuka's silver tongued wildcat. More like the smile of a quick tempered fox. "You must be from Hyotei." She said, voice a suspiciously pleasant tone. "We're Rikkai."

"I can see that," Erena nodded dryly. "I think I'd recognize the uniform of the school that beat us last year."

The girl just shrugged. "I'd hope so," she murmured. Then, she turned to the other girl, the pale one. "Hey Nori-chan, you should probably introduce yourself."

"Nori-chan" simply nodded. Though her actions didn't say so straight out, it was obvious that she held more power than the other girl. "Ikeda Minori, captain of Rikkai's girls team," she extended a hand that was also pale as snow.

Erena was about to take it, had Shun not stepped in her way and took it herself. "Himura Shun, vice captain of Hyotei." she replied coolly. Lifted a brow at the girl with dark blonde hair. "I'm assuming you're vice captain?"

She lifted a brow in return, which looked so much more impressive on her considering hers were arched. "No, I'm actually not." There it was again, that quick tempered fox smile. "Akamine Hana, part of Doubles 1."_  
_

"Fukumitsu Erena."

Neither Hana nor Erena offered to shake hands.

Shun spoke up, voice purposefully accusatory. "Aren't there tennis equipment shops in Kanagawa? Why are you all the way in Tokyo?" she questioned, eyes narrowed.

"Don't get ahead of yourself and feel flattered or anything," Hana waved a hand dismissively. "Our vice captain got into some trouble with the tailors there, so I suggested we come here, since it's decently close by."

"Is that so?" Erena stated dryly, flicking her fringe out of her eyes. "Reliable vice captain you've got there, from the sound of it."

Hana bristled up noticeably, amber eyes suddenly gone cold. She made to retort, only to be stopped by a snow white hand on her arm. "Don't, Hana," Minori shook her head. "It's not worth the trouble." Facing Erena, she said, "I hope we'll get the chance to play each other in Singles 1."

Erena cocked her head, studied her for a second. The difference in height didn't seem to bother either of them, perhaps being Rikkai made you automatically seem taller, more powerful and domineering.

But Erena was Hyotei, and Hyotei could hardly be called weak. "Yes, I hope so too, Ikeda-san," she nodded slowly.

Shun was Hyotei too, didn't show it as much but still was through and through. She picked up the box of uniforms and nudged the tall girl. "Let's go, Erena," she ordered, making to move past Minori and Hana. The former raised a brow, the latter just narrowed her eyes.

Erena followed, whistling lowly the second they left the shop. "And that's Rikkaidai for you," she murmured thoughtfully.

"Yeah," Shun agreed, shrugging. "They're kind of bitchy." _I can't believe Takara's teammates with them._

The taller girl just laughed.

**~xXx~**

**End**

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N: **I'm still debating whether or not I should write half the story from Rikkai. On one hand, I originally wanted to do a Rikkai story and love those characters a lot (especially Akamine Hana. She was my favorite and I just had to introduce her here). On the other hand, I might have to deal with some annoying people who accuse me of plagiarism. Oh well. I'll make that decision soon. They'll be showing up a little in the next few chapters, so I'll just ask you guys what you think when the time comes.

Also, a lot of you are really curious about Miura, which makes me really happy because that's a big part of the story that will be revealed little by little ;)

A friend **Flying Kingfisher** mentioned to me that it was hard to picture the characters, so I decided to write some mini bios. Y'know, just appearances, which class they're in, some other stuff that was mentioned, those kind of things.

_**Sorano Tsukiko**_

Appearance: Long, wavy dark red hair, blue-black eyes, above average height, graceful build, pretty facial features

Class: 3-B

Other: Captain, kind, shy around adults, performer, best friends with Yuuka and Erena

_**Himura Shun**_

Appearance: Straight dark hair, brown topaz colored eyes, average height, composed and neat

Class: 3-A

Other: Vice captain, solitary, rivalry with Yuuka, very proud, father on school board, doesn't have/care about friends

_**Akechi Yuuka**_

Appearance: Purple to pink ombre dyed hair, calculative and absorbing eden eyes, average height, constantly smirking

Class: 3-B

Other: Described as a silver tongued wildcat, cryptic, sly, twists words to her will, best friends with Tsukiko and Erena, Atobe's ex-girlfriend

_**Fukumitsu Erena**_

Appearance: Pixie cut black hair with a green highlighted fringe, green eyes, very tall

Class: 3-H

Other: Left arm in a brace, Oshitari's ex-girlfriend, half Greek, best friends with Tsukiko and Yuuka, fairy like appearance, "Fairy Queen"

_**Hayashi Anna**_

Appearance: Princess worthy golden hair, hard and sharp hazel eyes, above average height, "Beauty Queen", extremely beautiful

Class: 3-C

Other: Reclusive, strong opinions of others, hard exterior, older sister was on Rikkai's team, dislikes Oshitari

_**Shiina Ikue**_

Appearance: Golden brown hair, two stripes of blue and green dye, violet eyes, average height, tanned complexion, decent features

Class: 3-D

Other: Ghostlike actions, friendly but always appears bored, subtly provokes others

_**Kataoka Chizuru**_

Appearance: Curly auburn hair, pink eyes, average height for a second year, dark shadows under her eyes

Class: 2-A

Other: Known as "a robot that's capable of human emotions", stacked up with extra curricular activities, crush on Choutarou

_**Yoshida Airi**_

Appearance: Pale brown hair, night colored eyes, below average height

Class: 2-C

Other: Half Irish, Atobe and Kabaji's childhood friend, transfer from London, friendly and easygoing manner, high spirited

Please leave a review if you liked it!

-Cara


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or Lilting Glamour's OCs from _Lost in Your Eyes._

**A/N**: It seems like the most popular characters are Yuuka and Shun so far, so this chapter has a lot of Yuuka.

I just realized what a terrible person I am for not replying to reviews. Really guys, sorry. I'll reply to every one starting from now, promise :)

Also, the amazingly talented **Lilting Glamour **and I are collaborating with her fic **Lost In Your Eyes **and this one. It's also relatively new, but I highly recommend reading it so you can familiarize yourself with Tanaka Jun, her OC. Other characters that belong to her include Harada Minori and Morita Leiko.

* * *

**~xXx~**

"_Everything you've wanted is on the other side of fear." –George Addair_

**~xXx~**

* * *

Even after their breakup, it was commonly known that Oshitari Yuushi and Fukumitsu Erena still remained great friends. While Erena considered Tsukiko and Yuuka to be her closest female friends, she often found that they were closer with each other than with her. Which was fine, because she also had Oshitari and other friends.

They had dated for a year, although neither been in love. There had been kisses and chocolate and flowers, but Erena could honestly not say that either of them had taken the relationship to heart. They were and would always be nothing more than close friends, and both of them were happy with just that.

One day, during lunch, Oshitari offered to rally with her, which she agreed to. Airi and Kabaji were hitting on the first court, the former all smiles and laughter and the latter smiling a rare true smile—the friendship between those two was just precious. Mukahi, Shishido, Choutarou, and Hiyoshi were all playing a "friendly" game of King of the Court. Tsukiko and Ikue were helping out some first years with drills.

On the far, far court, Anna was alone as she slammed serves down the middle like her life depended on it.

Erena elbowed Oshitari. "Didn't you say that Hayashi-san is your seatmate?" she commented quietly.

His dark eyes trailed over to Anna, watching her for a few seconds. "Anna-chan? Yes, she is," Oshitari replied, voice surprisingly neutral. Usually when he spotted a pretty girl he would paint on a layer of charm and seduction.

It wasn't that he was a playboy or anything, per say, but he was a lover of women. Loved beautiful women especially, with long, shapely legs and perfect curves. Hayashi Anna was beautiful by any standards, but her cold attitude rivaled Shun's.

Erena observed her for a second, said, "I'm guessing she's still bitter about losing to Shiina-san," as she cast Oshitari a sideways glance. His eyes remained fixed on the golden haired beauty.

"Did she not defeat Yoshida-chan yesterday?" Oshitari mused.

"Yoshida-chan? Oh no, Hayashi-san beat her, but it was pretty close," the tall girl shrugged, fingered her fringe. It was grown extra long, partly covering her right eye. "Shiina-san has quite the effect on people though, when they lose to her."

That caused Oshitari to glance at her in amusement. "Are you saying you've lost to Shiina-chan?" He teased, knowing the answer very well.

She slapped him lightly. "What do you think?" _No_, of course she hadn't lost to Ikue. Anybody who'd seen her play would know that.

"Well," he shrugged, turning away—reluctantly though, Erena noticed—from Anna, "we came out here to rally, so shall we?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Let's go."

Only two minutes later did she hit a spectacular smash that left him helpless.

**~xXx~**

"Chizuru-san!"

The auburn haired girl barely looked up in time before getting ambushed by Airi. Well, not quite ambushed, but shoved lightly from behind sort of counted. For the second time in a week, all her books went spilling out of her arms.

"Oh crap," Airi grinned sheepishly, helping her pick them up. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were holding so much stuff," she said as she straightened a stack of piano music.

Chizuru offered a tired smile. "It's okay, Airi," she said lightly. "It's not your fault, I just didn't get much sleep last night." That was not a lie. She'd been up until two in the morning, staring at the ceiling and trying to force herself in unconsciousness.

"Well, I just stopped by to say hi, and Munehiro's waiting for me, so I'll see at practice!" Airi called, leaving just as quickly as she left.

Chizuru smiled softly. What a lively friend.

The two had hung out at Chizuru's house a couple times now, and Chizuru honestly found herself enjoying the other girl's company. Her parents, Kataoka Yuiko and Kataoka Fumiya, absolutely adored Airi from the minute she flashed them a bright smile. Even Mai, her younger sister, liked the transfer student.

And somehow, Chizuru had also ended up telling Airi about her longtime crush on Choutarou. "We have the same piano teacher," she'd explained softly. "And well, Ootori-kun being Ootori-kun was so sweet. We never really talked, but he was pretty good, and Aomori-sensei—that's our teacher—spoke highly of him."

"I actually confessed to him in middle school," she'd admitted sadly, pink eyes faraway and distant. "But he only knew me as Aomori-sensei's best student, so of course he said no."

"Why don't you try to get to know him better? Ootori-kun is so nice!" Airi had pointed out.

Chizuru shrugged. "I've never been in his class during high school, and there's no time to talk to him otherwise. You know, with track, studying, and piano."

"I think you two would be really cute together," Airi had declared nonetheless, a smile on her face. "Come on Chizuru-san, you can do it!"

And Chizuru had agreed half-heartedly, said she'd try harder to get to know him, but she knew that she couldn't do anything. He probably remembered her awkward confession, probably thought of her as unattractive and unremarkable.

_It's just stupid, stupid, stupid._

**~xXx~**

"Hey, Akechi," a voice called. Yuuka, knowing very well who it was, rolled her eyes before turning around. "What do you want, Harada?"

Harada Minori, in all her elegance and good looks, was a plain bitch. At least, to Yuuka she was. Then again, Yuuka hated a lot of people.

_You're here to talk about Keigo-kun_, she thought dryly, _and for the tenth fucking time, I don't like you_.

She sort of resembled Tsukiko though. What a shame. Harada had the same red hair, though it was considerably lighter than Tsukiko's and she was just as tall and fair skinned. The eyes really made the difference though, with her green ones confident and superior and Tsukiko's dark blue ones much kinder and softer.

Harada inspected a strand of red hair in between her fingers. "I was hoping you could offer some services." She said in a tone of superiority.

Yuuka smirked—didn't Shun once tell her that it looked like a silver tongued wildcat? She actually really liked that expression. "Didn't I already tell you several times that I won't help?"

"Surely you'd have changed your mind by now," the other girl sneered.

_You think you're better than me, you bitch? Yeah right. _

"Oh actually," she smiled sarcastically. "I do have some advice. It's the three step plan called shut up, stop being a bitch, and then _getting the hell out of the country before I can murder you_. Does that help at all?"

Harada looked at her in utter disbelief, eyes wide and mouth slightly parted. Then she glared, green eyes glinting. Yuuka merely bared her teeth, unaffected.

"One day, Akechi," Harada said in a dangerously low voice. "One day, you're going to go to hell. The plain hell that you deserve."

Yuuka shrugged, shut her locker. "Must I remind you of the fact that you mean nothing to Keigo-kun? I'm still his friend."

Harada left with one last glare.

**~xXx~**

"Let ore-sama through," Atobe ordered with a snap of his fingers. Immediately, the crowd before the bulletin board stepped aside to clear a perfect path for the brown haired king.

Kabaji found it rather unnecessary for Atobe to do so, but of course he didn't say anything. Besides, Airi was talking to him now, a nervous smile on her face. "I flunked it, Mune, I must have flunked it. I've never been that good at math, and the history exam was a lot harder than I thought, and—"

"You'll be fine, Airi," he said kindly, smiling down at her. "You aced the English and Japanese portions for sure."

He peered up at the second year's ranking list, searching for their names. Number one went to Chizuru, of course—she had aced English, Japanese, math, and science and got the second highest in history. Number two and three were other people in the honors course, and four went to Kabaji, who had gotten the highest score in history.

Hiyoshi had actually scored an all time best by getting twelfth place, and Choutarou was in thirtieth. Kabaji made a mental note to congratulate them later, when he suddenly felt a hand squeeze around his arm.

Airi was in seventy-first place.

It was by no means a good score, but it also wasn't terrible. So why did she look so upset, when he'd heard from Choutarou that just days ago she'd laughed over a poor math grade?

"Hn?" Atobe happened to look over at that moment, eyes scanning the list. "Congratulations, Kabaji. That's your best yet," he nodded approvingly, a smile gracing his features. Then, as his eyes traveled further down the list, the smile slowly dropped. Airi flinched.

Oh, so that was it.

"Yoshida Airi," Atobe said slowly, placing his finger next to her name and rank. "This is just unacceptable."

"I know, Keigo-senpai, I kn—"

But Atobe wasn't done yet. "Kabaji, tell Oshitari that Airi needs a tutor—and desperately too." He ordered.

"No no no, it's okay!" Airi protested, waving her arms frantically. "I can ask Chizuru-san, since she got first and all!"

"Or Yuuka-chan perhaps," Atobe mused. "She might agree to help."

Kabaji scanned the third year's list. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"You're first again, why don't you tutor Airi."

"Because I have much better things to do than tutor her. Why ask in the first place?"

"I don't know. I thought you would."

Meanwhile, Airi was glaring at the two of them. "I don't _need _tutoring, okay!" She snapped, successfully getting their attention. "Seventy-first isn't the best score, but I'm not failing, so it's fine!"

She whirled on her heel and stormed away, causing several people to whisper and point. Knowing Airi though, she was probably too caught up in her thoughts to care.

Atobe sighed, massaged his temples. "Really though Kabaji, get Oshitari to tutor her. God knows how much she needs it."

"She did well on everything besides math and Japanese though, so—" Kabaji began, only to get interrupted again.

"And barely passed both of them. Kabaji…I need you to take good care of Airi, all right? That girl won't survive without you." His tone was low and urgent, like a father asking his daughter's first boyfriend to treat her well.

It was rare to get such a sentiment from Atobe, and of course Kabaji agreed. Airi was his best friend, the most precious person to him. He would protect her with everything in him.

**~xXx~**

"What did you get, Erena?"

"Twenty-third. That's good enough for me. You?"

"Eighteenth."

"That's great, Tsukiko."

"Yeah, thanks. But that's nothing compared to Yuuka."

They turned their heads in unison to Yuuka, who was studying the rankings with a pleased smirk.

_#3 Akechi Yuuka_

Erena peered at the top two rankers in the grade. Number one was Atobe, obviously, and number two… "Tanaka Jun? Who's she?" Tsukiko asked in wonder.

"A student here on scholarship, consistently gets second or third place." Yuuka informed while twisting a strand of dyed hair around her finger.

"Morita-chan's friends with her, sort of," Erena added. It was commonly known that in their first year, Morita Leiko, the current captain of the basketball team, had tried to recruit Erena for the basketball team due to her height and quick reflexes. Erena had declined, though the two remained friends.

Erena had met Tanaka Jun before too, and rather liked her. Though meek and small and frail looking, she was surprisingly fast and very dedicated to her studies. She also knew of Jun's frustration of never being able to outrank Atobe, though that was information that wouldn't be shared around Yuuka.

Then again, who the hell was she kidding? Yuuka already knew. Whether Yuuka cared or not was a different story.

**~xXx~**

_#5 Oshitari Yuushi_

"Oh?" Mukahi commented, glaring enviously at Oshitari. "You're in the top five _again_, you bastard." The short acrobat had barely scraped into the forties, and for once Shishido had scored a full fifteen spots ahead of him.

Oshitari merely shrugged, much more interested in the name directly below his.

_#6 Hayashi Anna_

Speak of the devil, the beauty queen herself was right next to him, a small, relieved smile gracing her lips. "Congratulations, Anna-chan," he said, meaning it sincerely. Anna had never able to crack the top ten until this year.

Her smile faltered, hazel eyes narrowing as they landed on him. It was a shame someone as beautiful as her had to be so hardened, so untrusting of others. Really, it was a shame.

But then she gave a shrug, as if to say _oh what the hell_ and nodded. "Yeah, thanks, Oshitari." She didn't smile again, but that was okay.

As she walked away, Mukahi elbowed him, grinning like a madman. "How come you didn't tell your best man you had a thing for Hayashi, eh?" He smirked devilishly.

Unaffected, Oshitari said, "Because if I were to tell Atobe he would only scoff and call me a fool," smoothly and trailed off somewhere.

"Bastard," Mukahi swore.

**~xXx~**

Upon entering the classroom, Anna noticed that there was only one other person in there, feverishly taking notes from a thick textbook. "Hey, Tanaka-san," she greeted, pulling out her chair.

Jun looked up, blinking through her glasses. "Oh, hello Hayashi-san." She responded rather shyly, like she was afraid of her.

Anna resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _Nobody should be afraid of me when there's worse out there. It's because they call me the beauty queen, is it? Does that really make me so scary?_

"You did great as usual on the exam, scoring second," she commented, taking out her books. "Back in middle school, it was always Atobe and Akechi fighting for first, sometimes they even tied."

The small girl's hand tightened around the pencil at the mention of Atobe. "Akechi Yuuka-san?"

"Yeah. We called it the war zone, what with those two and their pride," Anna let out a short laugh.

Jun appeared to be a little uncomfortable and touchy about the subject, so the blonde girl changed it. "I got sixth though, which is great because I finally got into the top ten. Even Oshitari congratulated me, and—" she stopped, realized who she was talking to. Why was she spilling this all out to Tanaka Jun when she had never spoken a word to her friends?

"Sorry," she muttered quietly, turning her back on Jun. "I'm done talking."

She thought for a second that Jun was going to say something, but all she got as a response was the scratching of a pencil.

**~xXx~**

For the fifth time, Chizuru was stopped in the hallway by a random teacher. This time it was Okazaki-sensei the history teacher. "Ah, Kataoka-san! Congratulations on keeping the number one spot!" He shook her hand energetically.

Ever since she was a first year, Chizuru had consistently taken first place, never once slipping. Except this year she had slipped a little, not getting a perfect score on history.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid._

Suddenly Okazaki noticed something behind her, grin widening even more. "Kabaji-kun and Ootori-kun, you two did great as well!" the teacher beckoned them over with a wave.

She froze. _Ootori-kun? Wait, wait, WAIT! _

But it was him for sure. She could recognize his docile voice anywhere. "Oh, thank you Okazaki-sensei, though I didn't do nearly as well as Kabaji-kun or Kataoka-san," he grinned shyly, rubbing the back of his head. "I still can't get a grasp on English…"

"Oh really?" Okazaki clapped Chizuru on the back, made her face the tall boy. "Kataoka-san happened to ace the English exam, maybe she can tutor you!"

_No no no no no no no no no no no no_ no…All she could think about was her stumbling, awkward confession as a thirteen year old, of being unable to look him in the eyes (partly because he was so tall even back then, but that was just an excuse) and the two of them blushing in silence for a good thirty seconds. And then his rejection, saying that he didn't her well enough but appreciated her feelings.

"Ah, that's alright, sensei. Tanaka Jun-senpai is already tutoring me."

_Tanaka Jun-senpai?_

Chizuru couldn't help it, she jerked upright and stared at him in shock. "Jun-senpai? She's tutoring you?" she exclaimed.

Choutarou seemed confused but still nodded. "That's right. Shishido-san's friends with her, and she's really smart so—"

"I haven't spoken to Jun-senpai in so long!" she cried out. "Ever since she quit track we haven't seen each other as much."

Choutarou was still very confused. He tilted his head slightly, regarding her with a new interest. "You're friends with Jun-senpai?"

"Sort of, yeah. She was a pretty good runner, it's too bad she quit. I should really text her again or something, maybe meet up." Chizuru mused.

"No wonder you're friends then, since both of you are top students," he smiled kindly. Turning to the long forgotten Kabaji, he said, "But Kabaji-kun, we should get going or else the cafeteria's going to run out of food. Bye, Kataoka-san."

Only then did she realize that as excited as she had been at the mention of Jun, her words and actions had been so, so utterly childish. What did Choutarou think of her now, a smart but immature fast tennis playing piano prodigy?

_Stupid, stupid, stupid_.

**~xXx~**

"So we're going all out in just Districts?" Shun raised a brow. What, was this Yuuka's idea?

Tsukiko nodded, tucking a clump of hair behind her ear. "After last year's defeat, it would be better to show everybody that we don't mess around," she explained.

Shun grimaced. Last year they'd been swept by Rikkai in straight sets at the Kantou final, and then only got one match off Seigaku in National semis. She hadn't played in either of those matches.

Tsukiko, on the other hand, had played doubles with Yuuka in both. They had beaten Seigaku handily but lost against Rikkai's captain and vice captain—who had been the only third years on their team.

And in the end, Rikkai destroyed Seigaku.

Hyotei's former captain had assigned Shun for Singles 2 against Rikkai. Erena had been Singles 1. But then Ushijima Kei, the Singles 3 player, had been crushed by a first year, and they hadn't had the chance to play. Shun was the reserve for the Seigaku match and Erena hadn't had the chance to play due to them losing in the first four matches.

No wonder Tsukiko was taking this so seriously. They could easily send out a lineup of sub regulars and still win, but the captain's pride wouldn't allow it.

"Anyway, we'll only use our strongest lineup for the first match," the red haired girl explained. "That's where all five matches are played. We can mix things up after that until we face a really strong school."

Shun nodded, pen in hand. The registration form was all filled out except for the lineup. "So who goes where?"

"Yuuka and I are Doubles 1, and Erena's Singles 1, of course. You can be Singles 2, and then…" she trailed off, closed her eyes in concentration. "…and then Shiina in 3 and Yoshida and Kataoka can play doubles."

"Shiina in Singles 3? What about Hayashi?" Shun pointed out. Although Anna had lost to Ikue, she had a feeling that the beauty queen would eventually come out on top.

Tsukiko shrugged. "They're about even now, so it's a tossup."

"Okay," she wrote in Ikue's name for Singles 3 and then paused, looking at the Doubles 2 slot. "I agree with Kataoka, but Yoshida? She doesn't seem like a doubles player to me." Although clearly a volley expert, there was a certain refinement to her play, one that would be most put to use in singles.

"That's true," the captain admitted. "But she's friends with Kataoka, so it would be easier than if Anna were in doubles. And we're the only strong team in the district, we have nothing to worry about."

**~xXx~**

"Hey you two, hurry up!" Erena called over her shoulder. "We're never going to finish the regimen if you're going to be this slow!"

"Sorry, Fukumitsu-senpai!" Airi called back, speeding up a little.

The tall girl just looked at them through her fringe. "You're on the track team, Kataoka, I would have thought you'd be faster," she said bluntly, not slowing down for the two juniors.

Knowing Chizuru, Airi was worried that the curly haired girl was going to be upset by the comment. Surprisingly though, she didn't seem affected in the least. "Erena-senpai's always saying things like that, but she doesn't mean any harm," Chizuru explained. "Besides, she knows I'm a lot faster, but I want to keep my stamina in check."

"Oh," Airi nodded, eyeing Erena. Besides the fact that she'd lost terribly to her, she didn't know much about the tall senior besides the fact that she was, well, pretty damn tall. The same height as Kabaji in fact, who was only a few centimeters shorter than Choutarou, who was a plain giant.

Switching the subject, she said, "It's amazing that you can get first, Chizuru, when you're on two sports teams and play piano competitively."

Chizuru blushed a little, ducked her head. "Kabaji-kun beat me on history though, so technically it's not quite first," she mumbled quietly.

"Yeah, well you got perfect scores on every other subject, and Mune only beat you by a few points on history," Airi pointed out. She nudged her friend. "Really, it's beyond me how you can handle so many activities."

She wasn't sure if she'd really heard it, but she could have sworn Chizuru said, "I don't know myself," voice floating away with the gentle breeze.

**~xXx~**

The sounds of panting and heavy breathing could be heard all over the first few courts. "Akechi-senpai really wants to kill us, huh?" A second year called Ishino managed out.

"Quit complaining," Yuuka called lazily, inspecting a strand of hair. "You don't want to make the team, don't waste my time."

Ikue laughed from where her and Anna were dealing volleys out to first years. "Giving them that many suicides has to be against the law, Akechi," she commented lightly.

"Is that so, Shiina?" Yuuka replied dryly, unaffected. To the second years she called, "Five minute water break, then take five laps around all the courts."

"Akechi, there's fifty courts," Ikue reminded.

"So it's the equivalent of running one lap around two hundred fifty courts. Less actually, so consider it a blessing."

Ikue shook her head in amusement, muttering, "That Akechi," under her breath.

Anna happened to hear, said, "I think she's in a good mood today, since she got third and all."

"That's true," she traced the two stripes of dye in her hair. "You got sixth right? Congrats." Ikue herself had ranked thirty-fifth, but she didn't particularly mind. It was above average, after all.

"Yeah, thanks." It seemed as if Anna was no longer bitter over losing to her, which was good. Ikue found amusement in pushing people over their sanity level, but didn't like the heavy feeling of grudges against her.

They lapsed into companionable silence for a few minutes, until Ishino suddenly screamed out in pain. "My ankle! Oh my god, my ankle!" she wailed.

Ikue could feel the disgusted aura coming from Yuuka. "Oh for fuck's sake," the mastermind muttered darkly under her breath, striding towards the second year with quick steps.

Ishino continued to cry out in pain, everyone else too afraid of Yuuka's dangerous aura to move. It was quite obvious that it was nothing major, a twisted ankle at most.

"What are you all standing around for, go run your laps!" Yuuka snapped. The second years all scurried off in a cloud of dust, terrified of her wrath.

Ikue and Anna approached Ishino with slightly friendlier airs. "Come on Ishino, it's not that bad, just stand up," Anna sighed, running a hand through her hair exasperatedly.

Huh. Maybe it was just Ikue then.

The second year shook her head frantically. "I think it's broken, I really really think—" Before she could finish speaking, Yuuka grabbed her by the elbow and jerked her up not the least bit gently.

"Look kid, you can stand. It's not broken, so stop complaining," she rolled her eyes, annoyance dripping from her voice.

Ishino, still unsure, quickly sat back down. She shook her head so fast it looked like a dog shaking water off.

Yuuka's patience, meanwhile, was wearing thin. "Kid, I don't care if you're hurt or not, but if it's really that bad just go to the fucking infirmary. You take her, Hayashi."

Though the look on her face resembled that of a little kid being told to eat vegetables, Anna dragged Ishino up and half carried her to the infirmary, mouth set in a thin line.

"Wasn't that a little harsh, Akechi?" Ikue sighed, watching as Ishino suddenly burst into tears that definitely weren't from the minor injury.

Yuuka shrugged apathetically. "It doesn't matter, does it? Nothing ever does," was all she said, simply put and firm.

"What if she'd been seriously injured, like she'd actually broken her ankle?"

"That's a different story entirely," Yuuka dismissed, sending her an icy look. A warning, telling her that she was pushing it just a little and should retreat.

Ikue could feel the rage building up inside of her, the rare rage that came from thunder and lightning and storm clouds, not her usual light rainfall. "Listen, Akechi," she snapped, taking a step forwards. "You're not the captain, you're not the vice captain, you're not the coach, and you certainly don't have any more authority than I do. Maybe Ishino's injury wasn't a big deal, but if she says it hurt, you could at least be a little more sympathetic. Don't you _care_?"

"Is that really worth anything coming from you, ghost girl?" her eden eyes flashed, but not from anger. More like mere contempt, as if she were wondering why Ikue was even talking to her. "Because you don't know anything about me, and if you want to sympathize with weaklings then you go sympathize with them. I, quite frankly, couldn't give a damn."

The violet eyed girl tensed up, found her fingers curling into a fist and then extending. _I will tear you apart, wildcat. I will rip your fucking throat out with my claws, and then you'll see how it feels. You'll finally know what it feels like to others when words scar them, strike them, tear them apart._

It occurred to Yuuka then that Shiina Ikue was a lynx. Solitary and rare and sometimes unnoticed but would not hesitate to kill anything that stood in its way.

Ikue's expression could not have been better described than a ghostlike lynx stare. Just a stare, not a glare nor a plea. She just stared at you, left you to use your imagination as to how she was feeling.

Yuuka returned it with her silver tongued wildcat smirk.

_Very well, ghostlike lynx. You're finally coming back from the dead._

_But who knows for how long. Maybe you'll just end up as a ghost again._

**~xXx~**

The second she stepped out of the infirmary, two things happened. 1) Atobe came striding down the hallway and 2) Oshitari Yuushi had his fingers curled around her wrist.

"Have you seen Shishido and Ootori?" He asked seriously.

_No, I haven't, and get your hand off my wrist_. "Aren't they at practice?" she sighed, trying to tug her arm away. His fingers remained wrapped around her wrist, and without meaning to she noticeed that they were cool and firm like his calloused palm.

Oshitari shook his head. "They asked to leave early, and Atobe's not happy." Suddenly, he cocked his head, looked at her with a confused interest. "Say, Anna-chan, what were doing in the infirmary? Are you hurt?"

_Yeah, I broke my arm. You just can't see it because I have an invisible cast on. _"A second year twisted her ankle and freaked out. Yuuka was pretty pissed."

He chuckled. "That seems very like Akechi-san," he agreed.

"Yeah."

They stood like that for a little, his hand still on her wrist and her unmoving, just watching him. _Why does he still wear those glasses when everybody knows they're fake?_ She wondered what he looked like without them.

"I should go find the others now. I'll see you later, Anna-chan," he sighed, letting go of her—though a little ruefully, she noticed—and heading off in the direction Atobe had gone.

_You're supposed to hate him, Anna. Why the hell do you feel emotional__ over something like that? _She mentally berated, slapping herself once on the forehead before reluctantly going back to the courts.

_Yeah, that's right. I hate him._

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N: **The more I write, the more terrifying Yuuka's mind becomes. Also, I'm pretty sure every section from Chizuru ends with her calling herself stupid. Also, I'm getting the feeling that Anna's personality might be inconsistent.

This chapter takes place on the same day as the first chapter of **Lilting Glamour**'s _Lost in Your Eyes_, so if you haven't read it you should because then you'll understand some things that were left unanswered (and if you've already read it, read it again because it's amazing and so is she).

I am very aware that Tsukiko is the least developed while Yuuka is the most. This shall be fixed in the next chapter.

Leave a review to tell me your thoughts! And I'm going to stop being rude and reply to them now! :)

-Cara


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or Lilting Glamour's characters from _Lost in Your Eyes._

**A/N: **Fillerrrrr chapterrrrr…talks mostly about the characters' lives.

Also, I made a mistake last chapter. Apparently Kabaji's actually taller than Choutarou, so let's just say that Erena's the same height as Choutarou but shorter than Kabaji.

* * *

**~xXx~**

_"What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you." -Ralph Waldo Emerson_

**~xXx~**

* * *

"Was Harada trying to hit on you again?" Yuuka commented, taking a sip of her coffee.

Atobe grimaced, stared into his own cup of tea. "Not quite," he shook his head. "I believe she was harassing Tanaka, though she wouldn't admit it."

"Oh really."

He peered at her over the rim of the cup. Atobe was anything but stupid—that first place ranking was proof enough. He was also anything but oblivious, knew how much people had gossiped over his previously romantic relationship with Yuuka.

_Atobe Keigo is dating Akechi Atsutomo's daughter? The one who dyes her hair like a delinquent? There must be some mistake, surely! What could such a pleasant boy like him ever see in _that _girl?_

It wasn't that Yuuka was unsightly or disgusting, but the dyed hair often threw people off and who could forget those eyes and that smirk? Cold and calculating and merciless, oh so merciless. They reflected what was inside of her, because she was cold and calculating and merciless through and through.

Before storming off to find Choutarou and Shishido, he had seen how she'd treated that second year Ishino. How she wouldn't take any of her shit and told her to get up, to stop whining. How Shiina Ikue had flinched at the harshness even though it wasn't directed towards her. How Yuuka had just smirked at her in return.

But wasn't that why he'd taken a liking to her, all the way back in middle school? Her original hair color was a pretty reddish gold, like the color of a sunset. She first began dying it in eighth grade, but that had increased his interest. Atobe didn't quite remember what happened after that, just that they began dating that year and broke up at the end of last.

_You are so Hyotei, Yuuka-chan. You are Hyotei through and through and through, from your eyes to the words that leave your tongue. And I loved you once, but you didn't_.

She tilted her head, but there was no concern, no nothing in her eyes. "Keigo-kun, you've been staring off for a while now. You okay?" But she already knew the answer because she always knew everything before you did.

Atobe shook his head a couple times, sighed as he set down his cup of tea. "The bill's on me today, since you paid last time," was all he said. That earned him a scoff.

_I loved you once, Yuuka, but you didn't love me back._

**~xXx~**

_Suzuki Takara: A little birdy told me you ran into some of my teammates a few weeks ago._

Shun frowned at the text. Why did Takara have to remind her? Now all she could think about were Akamine Hana's fox smile and Ikeda Minori's wintry paleness.

_Himura Shun: That's true. _

_Suzuki Takara: And what do you think of them? Impressive, huh?_

_Himura Shun: I'd hate to be attacked by Akamine._

_Suzuki Takara: Hey, watch it. She's my best friend, and she's not really that scary._

_Himura Shun: Uh huh. Right. And that same little birdy told me that you got into trouble with the tailors in Kanagawa._

_Suzuki Takara: Oh Christ, Hana told you THAT?_

_Himura Shun: Not the details._

_Suzuki Takara: Well fine. It's true, I'm the one that got into trouble. And you don't want to know the details. And I should probably go now, or else Hana's gonna throw a fit._

She sighed as she tucked the phone back into her pocket. Even if Takara was all the way in Rikkai, Shun still clung to her pathetically. _She was my only friend, and she left because I wasn't allowed to_.

"Dinner, Shun," her father, Hiroki, knocked on the door. "Get Taiki while you're at it."

_Start doing something yourself, bastard._

"Taiki," Shun called, opening her brother's door. The eleven year old looked up, taking his glasses off. Though only a sixth grader, he was surprisingly mature and calm, a still growing tree with its roots deeply embedded.

"Is it dinner already?" He asked, checking the time. "Huh, I didn't realize it was dark out."

_That's because you're pushing yourself too hard, Taiki, and I don't want you to do that._

"Well," she shrugged. "Let's go then."

Shun remembered the days when dinnertime was actually enjoyable, often fun in fact. Hina and Junichi, the two oldest, would sit on one side of the table, Shun and Mariko the twins opposite them with Hiroki at the head of the table. Her mother, Itsuka, would sit with Taiki because he had been a baby and required assistance.

Hina, the oldest would not so seriously complain about the increasing workload while Junichi would retort that she didn't play any sports to add on to it. Mariko, who was gentle and kind-hearted as a doe would lightly tell them to stop arguing. And baby Taiki was plain adorable.

She supposed she'd always been a loner, even among her family. She would watch them and think, _you are beautiful people and we are a beautiful family_ while also thinking _we're all going to be separated soon so why are we getting so close only for more sadness?_ No wonder Itsuka always told her to think happy thoughts, because Shun was clearly more pessimistic than everyone combined.

Nowadays, she thought wryly, glancing around the table, dinnertime was a contest to see how quickly you could finish eating and go back to doing whatever you were doing before. Hina, Junichi, and Mariko hadn't come back once since they left (and Hina and Junichi had left ten years ago), leaving just Shun (who'd stayed in Japan) and Taiki (who would be leaving next year). Hiroki and Itsuka had gotten divorced two months ago, yet Itsuka still sent the occasional letter and called every week.

Which left Shun with her father and younger brother, and because Taiki was taciturn by nature and Hiroki talked too much, she was forced to talk to her father for a full twenty minutes.

"How's captainship going on the tennis team?" he asked, taking a sip of clear wine.

Shun swallowed the urge to make a very Yuuka-like retort. _As if you care. _"For the last time Father, I'm not the captain, Sorano Tsukiko-san is. I'm the _vice _captain, as in secondary captain." She reminded monotonously.

Hiroki rolled his eyes. "Captain, vice captain, both are virtually the same."

"No, they're not."

Trying another approach, Hiroki asked, "And what about the exam? What was your rank?"

"Twenty-first." _You got something to say about that?_

He certainly did have something to say about it, setting down his wine glass rather firmly. "Shun, I would have expected better from you," Hiroki shook his head and sighed. "Taiki here scored second, and Akechi Atsutomo's daughter got third."

Taiki, who had not spoken a single word the whole dinner, suddenly became even quieter.

Shun, on the other hand, would not take any shit. "So what? With her condition she's supposed to be smarter than all of us."

"Then how did Atobe Keigo and some student on scholarship rank above her?" he retorted.

_They didn't. The wildcat can manipulate her own rank because she's always, always, better. _"Why does Akechi Yuuka even matter? I'm not friends with her, and she's not related to us," Shun snapped.

Hiroki narrowed his eyes. "It matters because I do not want to deal with that braggart Akechi Satsuki." Yuuka's mother was known to be more than a bitch most of the time, and everyone knew it for a fact.

"Then why didn't you tell Mom to get me experimented on as well, since I so clearly can't match up to Akechi?" She stood up quickly, threw her chopsticks on the table and stormed out.

She tried to ignore it, but she could feel quiet Taiki's eyes on the back of her head, a sad gaze that rang louder than he could ever speak.

**~xXx~**

If anybody asked Tsukiko what the one thing she couldn't live without was, she would reply in a split second. _Singing_.

Her mother, Sorano Chiyo, was a professional vocal coach, and a strict one at that. She expected nothing less than hard work, especially towards her daughter. But Chiyo was still a kind mother, and would not hesitate to support or defend Tsukiko.

For as long as she could remember, her mother never stopped singing. Sang all the way from a soprano's high notes to an alto's lower register. Nobuteru, her father, was a good singer, though he rarely did so outside the family. Tsukiko of course took up singing, and it helped so much with her mother by her side.

"You have such a beautiful whistle register, Tsukiko," Chiyo would smile, tucking her young daughter's hair behind her ear. "I always wished mine was that clear and sweet."

Chiyo danced beautifully as well, danced endlessly and gracefully. Tsukiko had inherited her gracefulness, but was not nearly as talented a dancer as singer. Her younger sister, Nishiko, could dance wonderfully but could not sing for her life, the exact opposite.

Tsukiko had been the lead in chorus since middle school, and loved singing more than everything. Even though she loved tennis as well and was a damn good player, it just didn't have the same effect on her as singing did.

"You have quite a good chance of singing professionally," Chiyo had said recently, looking deep in thought. "You're beautiful, and as long as you don't put too much strain on your voice everything will work out."

And once upon a time, she might have believed it herself. She knew that despite being captain, there was nothing overly remarkable about her. Yuuka was smarter, Erena was taller, Anna was prettier, Shun was faster, Ikue was steadier, Chizuru was nicer, and Airi was brighter. What would a pretty voice ever do for her when there were others that stood out so much more?

She'd never even had a boyfriend, never had her first kiss. It had hurt so much to watch her two best friends go on dates, hurt like a bruise that kept on getting hit every time it was healing. Because she wanted to fall in love, wanted someone to fall in love with her and didn't care who as long as they loved her.

Maybe Oshitari wasn't the only one in love with the idea of love.

**~xXx~**

"Nice to meet you, Chizuru," Yoshida Aileen smiled warmly. Her Japanese was not the best, filled with broken pauses and her Irish accent could be detected.

"Oh, English is fine," the auburn haired girl said in the other language. She had been a part of the foreign exchange program in middle school, attending Hyotei's American sister school for a year. Plus, she was ranked first in English.

Aileen looked shock, then her face brightened up to match her daughter's. "That's wonderful! Airi, why didn't you tell me one of your friends spoke English?" she turned to her daughter excitedly.

Chizuru had to force down a grimace not at the compliment but because understanding English with a thick Irish accent was so much harder than she'd expected.

"I told you she was ranked first in the year, didn't I?" Airi pointed out indignantly, hopping up a little to shoulder check Chizuru. "_I _even made a mistake on the English exam, which is embarrassing because I'm from Great Britian." She pouted.

In a desperate attempt to avoid any more questioning (she liked Aileen, she really did, but it was simply too hard to communicate), Chizuru reminded Airi that they had to get to work, since she was here to tutor her and all.

"I don't know how often I can help you," she'd warned. "I still have track meets and piano."

"That's fine," Airi had waved it off like it was nothing. "I can just ask Oshitari-senpai or Munehiro when you're busy."

Chizuru wondered if Jun would be willing to tutor Airi, though she highly doubted it. Airi was far too closely associated with Atobe, and after what happened last time she was still nervous about helping Choutarou.

They worked well for the next two hours, Chizuru helping with corrections on the last math test—it was by far her worst subject, history coming in second. Airi's Japanese was better than her mother's though, so that was okay. And surprisingly, she wasn't doing all that bad in science either.

"Done!" Airi exclaimed, flopping back on top of her bed. "I _hate_ math," she grumbled.

Chizuru laughed lightly, for the first time taking a good look around Airi's room. There was a bookshelf filled with English books and a few trophies from competitions back in London. In the corner, several stuffed animals were propped up against the wall. The walls were faded red, flower stickers stuck to them and glow in the dark stars on the ceiling.

It was nothing like Chizuru's. Her room was light blue, and there _three _bookshelves—two of which contained her personal collection, the third for textbooks. Her parents took great pride in framing every certificate and hanging it on the wall, and there were a hell of a lot of them. Medals too, and even four shelves for just trophies.

(Sometimes she just stared at all those trophies and medals and certificates and wondered if they really meant anything)

She never had anything like stuffed animals or dolls, wondered vaguely what it would be like to have them.

Aileen suddenly poked her head through the door, asked, "Would you like to stay for dinner, Chizuru?" in her thick Irish accent. Airi smiled at her encouragingly, like it would mean the world for her if she stayed over.

Unfortunately, she just wouldn't be able to have the world. "I'm sorry, Yoshida-san," she apologized, picking up her schoolbags. "But I've got piano practice now, and my parents are expecting me home for dinner. I'll see you tomorrow, Airi."

_I wish I could have the world, too._

**~xXx~**

"Need a hitting partner?"

Anna whirled around to face Ikue, whose face completely neutral except for the serious glint to her violet eyes.

After returning from her _interesting _encounter with Oshitari, Anna had found Ikue and Yuuka to be locked in some sort intense staring contest, which was not rare for the latter but very for the former. The brown haired girl was notorious for making comments that could easily be interpreted as snide or jeering, but it was completely out of her element to show actual anger.

Now, as the golden haired girl was about to set up the ball machine for her daily self-practice, it looked like she'd found a replacement.

Which, well, could be interpreted as good or bad. Anna had lost to a completely calm and collected Ikue, the steady rainfall that washed out her fire. God knew what an angry Ikue would be like. A storm, a hurricane perhaps.

She raised a brow almost tauntingly. "Well? You need a hitting partner or not?"

If so, then she just had to blaze brighter and higher, burn that hurricane right through and through until there was nothing left of it. One natural disaster against another, a wildfire against a hurricane.

"Sure."

**~xXx~**

"How's Kenya-kun doing?" Erena asked as they casually headed for the library.

Oshitari grimaced slightly, the corner of his mouth twitching up in annoyance. "Would you _not _mention that speed bastard of a cousin?" he spoke through gritted teeth. Privately though, he was thinking about their phone call the day before, Kenya bragging about his girlfriend while shamelessly teasing Yuushi about the fact that he hadn't had one since Erena.

She laughed. "Are you still mad that he told me about the nickname, _Yuu-chan_?"

"Don't make me regret befriending you, Erena."

"You'd regret regretting befriending me though, Yuu-chan." It wasn't said with nearly as much sass as Akechi Yuuka. From Erena it was just her teasing him.

Oshitari remembered how they'd first met. After missing the entire first day of school due to not knowing the train lines, he'd been terrified of getting it wrong again. He would have too, had a girl wearing a Hyotei uniform not stopped him, staring at him quizzically.

"You're a Hyotei student right? Why are you taking that line?" Oshitari had always been tall for his age even at twelve, but this girl was taller than him. Her black hair tied in two low pigtails, long enough to go past her chest. There had been no green in her fringe.

The twelve year old Oshitari had adjusted his glasses. "Oh, I was mistaken," he muttered. "Oshitari Yuushi. It's my first time in Tokyo."

She shot him another strange look—probably due to the Kansai dialect—before smiling a little, reaching over and grabbing his elbow. "Well, Oshitari-kun, we're going to miss the actual train if we don't hurry," she laughed, half-dragging half-leading him towards the station.

Of course though, the minute she got him on the right train she ditched him for two girls in the corner, one with dark red hair and the other with golden red. He hadn't even caught her name.

But then they were in the same class, and his deskmate was Sorano Tsukiko, her friend with the dark red hair. Her name was Fukumitsu Erena, he learned with interest.

"Oi, Yuushi! Where are you going?" Present day Erena called, sending him a strange look. "You're about to run into the trash can."

_Shit_, he thought far too late, ramming his knee into the metal bin.

Erena snickered, holding a hand in front of her mouth while her green eyes—green that matched her fringe highlights—shone. "What, Yuu-chan? Daydreaming about Hayashi?" She teased.

Oshitari raised a scandalized brow. "What makes you think I was thinking about Anna-chan?" Yes, she was so unfairly and overwhelmingly beautiful, yes she was regarded as the most beautiful in all of Hyotei, and yes, he loved beautiful people. But she was also so cold and untrusting and guarded off to him, why him, only him.

As of now, he was far more interested in gaining her trust, breaking down that wall she built only for him. And maybe then he'd take action, press her to the floor and kiss her senseless, make her feel full of raw emotion and grip him closer, closer, closer.

It was very tempting to do all of that now, but he had to take a strategic approach, had to be logical for once when it came to love, if he were ever to grow to love her.

Deciding that it was no longer a topic of interest, Erena shrugged, pushed open the door. "Well come on then. I need a copy of the science textbook, and you need your daily dosage of trash." Thoughtfully, she tilted her head and added, "Though I guess you already took half of it from running into the trash can."

"It's literature that strengthens the heart and soul, Erena."

"Is that what you told Kenya-kun, and now he has a girlfriend while you're still single?"

"How do you know he has a girlfriend?" He didn't remember mentioning that out loud.

She winked. "Hey, you're not the only one that can call him, you know."

**~xXx~**

It wasn't her father that opened the door but a middle-aged woman with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. "Hi Anna, and uh—" she cast a confused but also pleasantly startled glance at the girl next to her. "—sorry, what's your name?"

"Shiina Ikue."

"Shiina-san, it's nice to meet you." The woman smiled, shaking Ikue's hand. "I'm Sugita Yuzuki."

Anna very purposefully ignored the look Ikue shot at her.

"You must be hungry, Anna. Why don't you and Shiina-san go to the kitchen and—" Yuzuki was cut off by the golden haired girl striding past her, briskly saying, "I don't need to be invited into my own house," and storming upstairs.

Suddenly feeling very guilty of something, Ikue muttered a quick apology before following Anna, who was sorting through a linen closet. "You can take a shower in my sister's room at the end of the hall. I'll give you some of my clothes," she tossed her a towel before slamming the door to her own room.

Well this was getting very awkward, and Ikue felt a whole lot guiltier now.

The door at the end of the hall had elegant, hand painted calligraphy inked on the surface in black, characters that swirled and dipped as gracefully as Tsukiko walked. There was a small rectangle with a name written on it. _Misaki._

The guilty feeling was even stronger now, a constant fist against her gut. Ikue hastily opened the door and went straight to the bathroom without taking a look at the room around her. It was rude to just study someone's room like that, even if they weren't there. Besides, that match with Anna had been tiring, and she felt gross just thinking about the sweat that made her jersey cling to body like an undershirt.

She peeled off her clothes and stepped into the shower, and for a second didn't move, just thought.

Ikue had beaten Anna again, but this time it was much closer. Anna had won the first set at 6-3, but then went down in the next two tiebreakers. Very close tiebreakers though, both exceeding seven points.

Next time, she knew, or if not next time the time after that, Anna would beat her. She knew it like the back of her hand, because never before had she seen such a fire to anyone, not even Erena or Yuuka or Shun or Tsukiko. There was something completely out of this world about Hayashi Anna when she played so fiercely, something she knew she wouldn't be able to beat.

When she got out of the shower, she found a neat pile of clothes in place of her tennis uniform. Anna must have dropped them off. There was an olive green shirt with darker green zendoodle patterns and a pair of loose plaid sleeping pants. She rolled them up to her knees before heading over to Anna's room…

…Except Anna was kneeling before the door to her room, a small tray of ink in one hand and a calligraphy brush in the other. Carefully yet swiftly, she painted more characters onto the bottom, lines swirling and artistic.

"Did you do that to your sister's door too?" Ikue couldn't help but ask, shifting her weight awkwardly from each foot.

Anna nodded silently, drawing one last character before setting the brush on top of the tray and standing up. She wore a tank top with a plaid button up and knee length sweatpants. "You hungry? Let's go find something in the kitchen," she said, already heading down the stairs.

This was so _terribly _awkward.

The kitchen, she found, was relatively small, but there were about thirty pots and pans hanging from the ceiling. Anna was making tea, boiling a kettle of water.

"Okay Hayashi, tell me why you dragged me over here already," Ikue finally asked, crossing her arms. She thought Anna didn't like her after what had happened a few weeks ago.

Anna shrugged. "Because I don't want to be stuck alone with Yuzuki and my dad," she replied simply.

"Who exactly is Sugita-san then?" Yuzuki clearly wasn't her mother, so who?

As if it were the most obvious fact in the world, she said, "Dad's girlfriend."

It was so very tempting to ask where her mother was, but that would probably get her kicked out of the house. "She seems nice though, why don't you like her?"

"There's a limit to when I refuse to answer, Shiina, and that question goes past it."

"Fine, then let me ask something else. Where's your sister, Misaki?"

By the tightening of Anna's jaw, it seemed as if that question surpassed the limit as well. But then she shrugged, as if to say _oh what the hell_ and said very flatly, "On the pro tour for doubles."

Oh. "Did she go to Hyotei?" Ikue didn't recall any former seniors called Hayashi Misaki.

"No, Rikkai. Her and Akiko-nee beat Sorano and Akechi last year." Her voice was even flatter now, so flat to the point it sounded emotionless.

Ikue, on the other hand, was anything but emotionless. Her eyes widened, mouth struggling to form coherent words. "_Your sister _was Rikkai's vice captain? The one who never lost a doubles match in all of middle and high school?"

But Anna's attention was diverted elsewhere, towards the long forgotten kettle. It had been whistling for some time now, but neither had noticed and now the water was coming out the spout. "Oh _shit_," she swore, turning off the stove and yanking the kettle into the sink.

_Then this certainly speaks volumes about her._

**~xXx~**

Much to Anna's chagrin, they end up making brownies and eat half the pan. They don't even cut squares, just take spoons and scooped it out. "This is so chick flick-y and cliché," the blonde girl complained, brushing the crumbs off her sweatpants. "And we're athletes, why the hell are we eating so many brownies?"

Ikue paused, spoon halfway to her mouth. Oh right. She'd momentarily forgotten about that. "I guess you're right," she laughed, tossing the spoon into the sink. "Sorry if I'm making you lose tomorrow."

Anna rolled her eyes, taking one more bite before setting her spoon down.

**~xXx~**

**End**

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N: **I was considering not posting this since it is kinda filler and I was worried the whole time that it was too boring, but what's done is done. I just didn't feel like writing any tennis action so instead I wanted to explore relationships—whether they be romantic or platonic—between the characters.

Also, updates might be a little sporadic because school's starting in three days and I'm also making some decisions about what I'm doing next year. I submitted my early application college forms some time ago, by the way, and I just really really really want the results NOW.

Which characters did you like, which need more work? Also, should I bring back my Rikkai girls from Chapter 4 in the next?

Leave a review and tell me your thoughts!

-Cara


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or Lilting Glamour's characters.

**A/N: **School has started, and I've got a crapload of homework. Senior year is better than junior year, they said. It's so much fun, they said.

Actually, I'm enjoying it so far because there's a lot more free time and I don't have college app essays to write anymore (though I might still have to later if the early app doesn't go well). So I'll update as fast as I can without interfering with work.

Let's move on to districts, shall we?

* * *

**~xXx~**

"_Dreams are true while they last, and are we not living in dreams?" –Alfred Lord Tennyson_

**~xXx~**

* * *

Oshitari Kenya enjoyed a great number of things. He liked being speedy, for one thing, and of course tennis and his lizard. And he had just recently started dating her, but he liked his girlfriend a lot too.

What he enjoyed perhaps more than all of those—except for his girlfriend—was teasing Yuushi.

"What do you mean I need a date?" Yuushi groaned over the phone. Kenya could just imagine him cradling his head with his fingers.

"You need a date because Chiho-nee wrote so on the invitation," he replied, somehow maintaining a straight face even though it didn't matter if he hadn't. "Too bad you don't have a girlfriend, eh? Sucks for you."

Yuushi scoffed right back. "I'm surprised you're actually dating a girl, since you're so _attached _to Shiraishi-san."

"Oi!"

Well, one thing he certainly didn't like was when _Yuushi_ teased _him._

**~xXx~**

"I'm heading out!" Chizuru called, picking up her tennis bag.

As expected, there was no reply. Her parents were working, her younger sister was out with a friend, and the grandparents were asleep.

_Why did I even bother?_

Tsukiko and Shun had not announced the lineup yesterday, but they were going to right before the match. She wondered vaguely if she'd even been slotted for anything. All five matches were played in the first round, which they would undoubtedly breeze through, but then it was first to three in the later rounds.

She hadn't been doing amazingly in practice matches, though. After her loss to Tsukiko, Chizuru had been forced to go against Yuuka. Which, well, didn't end up as anything good in any way whatsoever. Yuuka had, as expected, trampled her into the dust, left her helpless. And then Chizuru had played Shun and lost yet again.

In middle school she had been regarded as the best player by far in her year, which was true at the time. But what with track and piano and her studies, she just didn't get a chance to improve her tennis as much as she could, which proved to be setback now. Airi too had lost in all her practice matches against Erena, Anna, and Ikue, and she hadn't played Chizuru yet but she was still probably better.

Airi was a sunshine child, bright and positive and alive. Chizuru was more like a moonchild, dependent of the sun's light to shine weakly and spin in the dark. She was nothing compared to her.

**~xXx~**

"You're here, Chizuru-chan," Tsukiko called, beckoning her over. The third years had all arrived, and the sub regulars wearing Hyotei blue and gray.

Yuuka, who had been counting heads, suddenly sighed. "We're missing one, Tsuki, and it's Yoshida," she informed, irritated. Masterminds did not tolerate lateness.

Tsukiko frowned, glanced down at the paper in her hands. "It would be bad enough for her to be late, but even worse if she doesn't make it. Airi-chan's in Doubles 2." She said worriedly, teeth biting down on her lower lip. "Worst case scenario we can pose one of the subs as her."

"That's not the worst thing that could happen. We could always get disqualified in the first round and have nothing to do for the rest of the season." Yuuka deadpanned, leaning casually against the fence.

She nudged her best friend. "Except that's not going to happen, Yuuka, because you would rather die than that."

The shorter girl merely raised a brow. "Would I, though?"

Before Tsukiko could respond, Atobe came up to them with Kabaji by his side. "Is there something wrong, Sorano-san? There's only five minutes before registration is closed," he warned.

Tsukiko had to hide a smile. Much as he was arrogant Atobe was also caring and generous towards others. Especially Kabaji and Airi. "We're just waiting on Airi-chan," she explained.

Unfortunately, that happened to be the wrong thing to say. Atobe's blue eyes immediately turned dead serious as he breathed out heavily between clenched teeth. "Kabaji, call Airi and tell her to get over here immediately or else—"

"Or else what, Keigo-senpai?" The short girl had just arrived on the scene, out of breath and light brown hair messy.

Atobe whirled around. "Are you aware that you were almost late, and that that would have forced Sorano-san to forfeit and then Hyotei would have been kicked out before even participating in districts? Can you imagine that kind of shame?" he scolded, staring right down at her.

"Hey, it's alright," Tsukiko interrupted, gently shoving them apart. "If you keep on yelling at Airi-chan we really will have to forfeit, so let's go already." She guided Airi away before Atobe had a chance to even open his mouth.

Airi was a mess, continuously yanking at her unkempt hair and twisting her hands. "I'm really sorry though, Tsukiko-buchou. I kind of have a bad habit of misjudging time and being late," she laughed awkwardly, rubbing at the back of her neck.

Without looking back, Yuuka lazily called, "Then you'd better get rid of that habit, Yoshida," from the front of the group.

Airi jumped slightly, shocked. Chizuru, who was walking next to her, noticed, and nudged her with her elbow. "Akechi-senpai doesn't miss anything," she explained.

Clearly that explanation did not enlighten Airi at all. Tsukiko chose to just laugh, ruffling the younger girl's hair.

**~xXx~**

"All right, Shun-san and I waited until today to announce the lineup, so let's get to it now."

"Doubles 2, Yoshida and Kataoka." Chizuru looked surprised, mouth parted slightly, while Airi looked plain ecstatic, shaking her friend's arm excitedly.

"Doubles 1, myself and Akechi." It was always weird to call Yuuka by her surname. How long had it been since they'd been on a first name basis? Too long to remember.

"Singles 3, Shiina." Ikue, who had arrived earlier that morning with Anna, did not show much emotion on her face besides the tightening of her jaw.

"Singles 2, Himura." Shun made no gesture to show that she had even heard.

"Singles 1, Fukumitsu." The tall girl merely tilted her head, green eyes flashing in anticipation.

Tsukiko finished up by announcing Anna as the reserve, then nodded. "We have an hour before the match starts, so Airi-chan and Chizuru-chan, you two should start warming up in forty. Everyone else is free to go."

The crowd of sub regulars dispersed, and so did the regulars. Anna and Ikue went off somewhere to talk about god knew what—honestly, they were the last two people Tsukiko would have ever expected to become friends, but apparently that's just what they were. Airi had dragged Chizuru off so the latter could show her around the tournament grounds. Shun slipped off on her own, leaving the three best friends to themselves.

Yuuka yawned, draping herself over a bench. "They shouldn't even hold districts when Hyotei is obviously the winner," she commented, closing her eyes.

"I agree," Erena nodded. "It's been like that for the past twenty years." She wisely chose not to mention Hyotei's straight set loss to Rikkai last year.

"Nothing but a formality," Tsukiko shrugged, brushing it off carelessly. She might have been insecure when it came to her assets, but she stood with straight shoulders at tennis. "In all honesty, we don't _have _to play seriously until we play a school like Seigaku, and most of the teams in the Kantou still aren't that good."

"Not even King Rikkai?" Yuuka raised a brow lazily.

She sucked in a breath, flashing back to the memory of getting thoroughly destroyed by a certain Rikkaidai doubles pair. "I've actually heard that Rikkai's recruited some especially strong players, and there's still those five we have to worry about," Tsukiko admitted. "But those could be nothing more than just rumors. Last year Higa was supposed to be really good, but Shitenhouji wiped them out."

"I wouldn't doubt rumors when it comes to Rikkai," Erena warned, eyes serious. She crossed her arms uncomfortably. "I didn't tell either of you about this, but when Himura-san and I were picking up uniforms we actually had a run in with two Rikkai players. One of them said she's in Doubles 1, and the other one was their captain, Ikeda or something."

Yuuka could though. "Ikeda Minori."

"Yeah, Ikeda Minori. I don't remember the other girl's name though."

The mastermind opened her eyes thoughtfully. "Rikkai's Doubles 1 pair, if I remember correctly—" which no one doubted that she did "—consists of the two third years that beat Okita-senpai and Adachi-senpai. Their names are Akamine Hana and Narita Shizue."

"Her name was Akamine Hana," Erena clarified, hunching over a little. "I would not like to mess with her."

That caused a great amount of amusement in Yuuka, who sat up smoothly, smirking. "Except it'll be me and Tsuki dealing with her, and do you really think we're the ones that need to watch out?"

Erena laughed. "No," she shook her head. "I'd worry for them even if it was just you."

**~xXx~**

"The districts preliminary match between Yuasa High and Hyotei Academy is about to begin. Players, please shake hands."

Airi grinned, nudging her partner. "You excited for this, Chizuru?" she smiled as she shook the hand of a girl even shorter than her, which was rare. "We'll win for sure!"

The curly haired girl laughed good-naturedly. "Sorry, she doesn't mean that," she apologized to their opponents between giggles.

"What makes you think I don't?"

"Keep it down, underclassmen," Yuuka drawled sarcastically, lightly flicking Airi's forehead. "Learn a thing or two from me and Tsuki and actually be good sports." With that said, she turned to the girl across the next and smirked so wide her eyes were narrowed to slits. "Hi there, I'm Akechi Yuuka, and if you ever want to wake up don't mess with me."

"Yuuka!" Tsukiko chided, shooting her a half-fond, half-exasperated look. "If you're going to refuse to clean your messes don't spill anything in the first place,"

All she got in return was a sarcastic "Yes, Tsuki." But really, what else was to be expected?

Everyone headed back to the bleachers except the two sophomores and Yuuka, who beckoned them closer. "Okay, listen up and I might keep this simple. Yuasa's team isn't worth shit, and you could easily beat them in your sleep. But that doesn't mean you're holding back. Tsuki wants you to play your hardest, make the match end as quickly as possible to make a statement, okay?" she explained.

"Yes, Akechi-senpai," Chizuru nodded, playing with her strings nervously. She had been captain and Singles 1 during her third year of middle school but was still nervous when it came to official matches. _I can't mess up, I can't mess up, I can't mess up. Don't be stupid._

Airi, on the other hand, was grinning wide enough to rival her senior. "It wasn't necessary to tell us that, senpai. We had full intentions to go all out from the start."

Yuuka cast her a slightly impressed glance before making herself comfortable on the coach's bench. "Then go out there and give them hell."

**~xXx~**

"Game, Yuasa! 3 games all!"

Erena raised a brow. "It looks like Yuasa's better than we thought," she commented, completely calm and unaffected.

"Not good enough for us to worry though," Anna shrugged. She had been a little miffed at being the reserve but otherwise didn't seem to mind. "Both doubles matches could be thrown and we'd still win."

Everyone sucked in a breath, casting glances at the back of Yuuka's head. "Some nerve you have there, Hayashi, thinking I'd throw a match," Yuuka called without turning around.

On the court, Airi and Chizuru were winning the current game fifteen-love. It was clear that they were much more skilled than their opponents individually, and Chizuru was a pretty good doubles player, but…

"Fifteen all!" as the ball went sailing down the alley.

…Airi was a bit of a mess. She was much more accustomed to singles, and as a result refused to move from the middle while Chizuru still guarded her half. Which meant there was a whole alley left unguarded, and the Yuasa pair knew it.

"Fifteen-thirty!"

"Or for the love of God," Yuuka spoke a few choice words under her breath as she signaled a time out to the umpire. "Get over here now, you two, and maybe then I won't kill you."

"Um…" Airi shot a panicked glance at Chizuru. "Akechi-senpai isn't actually going to…you know, kill us, will she?"

Chizuru shook her head, forehead covered with a sheen of light sweat. "Akechi-senpai's sense of humor is just kind of scary."

"It's about to get a lot scarier if you sophomores don't take this seriously," Yuuka scoffed, flicking the auburn haired girl on the head. "Now let's be serious for a second. You, Yoshida," she pointed at Airi, "You are a disgrace to the name of doubles. The first thing you learn is that there are two people on the same side of the court, which means that _you each need to guard your own half_. So why the _hell _are you standing in the middle?"

Airi, who did not have any response, chose to look at the ground in embarrassment.

"Kataoka, on the other hand, you can't just let her do what she wants. _Force _her to move aside, and don't let her hog the ball."

"Yes, Akechi-senpai," she nodded dutifully.

Yuuka just sighed, shook her head disapprovingly. "If you lose this match," she warned. "I swear to God I will kill you."

**~xXx~**

"Game, set, and match, Hyotei! 6-4, 6-2!"

Through sheer terror of Yuuka's wrath, Chizuru and Airi managed to not mess up as much as they had in the beginning. It took Airi a while to stop trying to take every ball, and Chizuru wasn't one to force her to stop, but eventually they hit their stride and won. Yuuka of course had reminded them of the fact that it took them an hour and a half but otherwise said it was a job well done.

"Though seriously, Yoshida," she added as she stretched out her back. "I don't ever want to see you play doubles ever again. What a terrible sight."

Tsukiko shoulder checked her. "Why don't we show Airi-chan what a real doubles pair is?" She grinned, dark blue eyes glowing.

Her partner smiled a slow, intimidating smile that showed all her teeth. "Let's, Tsuki."

Airi gulped as she sat in between Chizuru and Anna. "I feel bad for the girl Akechi-senpai's shaking hands with. She looks like she's about to faint." The slim girl clasping hands with Yuuka was as pale as a sheet all over, trembling slightly as Yuuka cocked her head and said something.

"She's pretty effective as a bench coach though," Chizuru pointed out. "Akechi-senpai's not a very warm and fuzzy person, so she really makes you work."

A thought suddenly occurred to Airi. "Hey, why isn't Tsukiko-buchou the bench coach? I mean, isn't she captain?"

Erena, who was leaning against the fence, answered this time. "Tsukiko is good at providing moral support and advice, but if you really want someone to point out your mistakes it's gotta be Yuuka. She doesn't miss a thing."

"And you'll miss something if you keep on talking, Erena," Yuuka called as crouched down at the net. "Especially you, Yoshida. Even if you're never going to be put in doubles again this is important."

"Hey, Hyotei punk!" a Yuasa supporter who clearly had not looked her in the eye shouted. "Stop being all bark and no bite!"

Silence fell over the court. Even the umpire almost fell out of his chair. Shun, who was serving as bench coach, had to admit that the kid had some nerve challenging Yuuka.

Tsukiko flinched sympathetically for the protestor. _Big mistake, big mistake._

Yuuka very slowly turned in the direction of the voice, head tilted. Her eden eyes were glittering maniacally, smirking like a titan with every tooth visible. "I'm sorry, I wasn't aware that you wanted me to bite you," she said sweetly, smiling even wider—if that was possible.

The protestor cowered back.

"Come on, Akechi!" Shun suddenly sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Just win your damn match already."

**~xXx~**

Fifteen minutes later Ikue was shaking hands with her Singles 3 opponent. Yuuka had reclaimed her position as bench coach, stretching out luxuriously on her back. Neither her nor Tsukiko had even bothered reaching for their water bottles.

"Did you really have to scare them so much into forfeiting?" Tsukiko scolded gently, loosening her wavy red hair from its ponytail. "We didn't even finish a set."

Yuuka scoffed. "Not my fault they got scared because they couldn't win a point." To Airi she said, "What do you think, Yoshida? Impressed?"

"Very, senpai," Airi replied solemnly, fighting to hold back a grin. "I've learned that when in doubt, keep on smirking at your opponents until they have a meltdown."

"Damn right."

Shun made a noise in her throat that suggested she did not think it was damn right. Yuuka ignored her.

Ikue won handily, the first set at 6-2 and the second at 6-1. Singles 2 over in thirty-seven minutes, Shun never dropping a game. It wasn't until Erena stepped on the court for Singles 1, however, that people started to whisper in a hushed silence.

"Look at that Hyotei girl," a neutral spectator hissed. "She's tall, but what's with her arm?" He was pointing to her left wrist, in its black brace like always.

A Yuasa supporter snorted. "Figures. Those arrogant rich kids probably think they can win by stacking."

"Hey, Yuasa, remember what you said about all bark and no bite?" Yuuka taunted right back. "Give them hell, Erena."

Erena merely saluted.

**~xXx~**

They trounced their second round opponents as well, meaning they would be moving on the prefectures. The boys were still playing their second round matches though, so they decided to go and watch them.

"That was fun!" Airi grinned, elbowing Chizuru. "You rocked it in the second round."

Chizuru blushed lightly, shrugged. "It was all Hayashi-senpai, I swear." She had played Doubles 1 with Anna, and they'd stumbled quite a bit but eventually pulled through. Of course, Yuuka's vicious Singles 3 victory was enough payback to the other team.

Airi had been the reserve, but it didn't matter. Hyotei would never lose a match to an inferior school like that.

On the boys' court, Choutarou and Shishido had just wrapped up Doubles 1. Hiyoshi was shaking hands with a lanky yet unimpressive looking boy, face serious and determined as always.

"Looks like you boys need some more work, since you're still not done yet," Yuuka smirked, slinking over to the spot on the bleachers next to Atobe.

"Oh Yuuka-chan, don't blame me. It's all thanks to that slacker Oshitari." He glanced loftily at said boy.

Oshitari just shrugged, moved aside to let Erena sit next to him. "Gakuto was being a bigger distraction that usual," he said casually.

"Oi!" Mukahi whirled around to face him. "What makes you think _I _messed up when I hit the winning shot?"

"He's teasing, Gakuto-kun," Erena laughed. Mukahi would never admit it aloud (though Oshitari already knew it anyway), the short boy was intimidated by the overly tall girl, especially since he barely reached over her shoulder.

Meanwhile, Airi had somehow dragged a mildly blushing Chizuru over to Shishido and Choutarou. "Hi Ootori-kun, Shishido-senpai!" she grinned, purposefully making Chizuru sit next to the taller boy. "

"Hello Yoshida-san, Kataoka-san," Choutarou smiled back warmly, unaware of Chizuru's shy refusal to make eye contact with him.

Shishido however, saw all. Narrowing his eyes he nodded slightly before focusing his attention back on Hiyoshi's match, where his Enbu tennis had given him the lead.

"How were your matches?" Choutarou asked politely, still oblivious to the auburn haired girl's sudden shyness.

"Tsukiko-buchou benched me during the second match, but Chizuru played great in doubles!" Airi chattered brightly, pushing her friend just enough to make her face Choutarou.

"What about you, Ootori-kun?" Chizuru finally asked. To Airi's shock, however, her rose colored eyes were tainted in misery.

He shrugged. "I only played this round with Shishido-san." Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he said, "Actually, Jun-senpai is tutoring me in the park later today, do you want to come and say hi to her?"

_Do it do it do it do it_, Airi mentally sent the message to her friend. _If you don't do it I'm gonna have to tell you to sit down and let me tell you how to talk to your crush._

"Oh…okay, I guess I will."

As she ducked her head down, the misery only seemed to grow.

**~xXx~**

After Hiyoshi won his match everyone split up. Shishido, Choutarou, and Chizuru headed for the park. Atobe was herding Kabaji and Airi off into his limo. Mukahi, Jirou, and Hiyoshi went to some shop. Anna and Ikue both went home, and Shun had long since vanished off somewhere. Tsukiko and Yuuka were going to watch a movie, which Erena declined because her and Oshitari were already going to his house to do homework.

On the walk back, Oshitari seemed to be in a sullen mood. "What's eating you, Yuushi?" Erena asked, elbowing him.

He looked up at her. It was sometimes awkward to think that she was taller than him when he had been the taller one for a couple years. "Kenya is a bastard," was all he said.

"Oh really? Are you still mad at him for letting Speedy sleep on your pillow?" she smirked lightly.

Oshitari inhaled sharply, an attempt at keeping calm. "Worse. Just try and guess, Erena."

"Oh, I'm guessing now? This has got to be good." She grinned. "Did he beat you in another race?"

"After the fifty-seventh time of losing I have grown accustomed to it."

"Spilled one of your secrets to his teammates?"

"Not that I know of." _But I should probably check…_

"Replaced your closet with his?"

"If his ridiculously colorful clothes ever came near my closet I would have killed him long ago. Take this seriously already."

"Made fun of you for not having a girlfriend while he does?" She's smirking now, and oh, it's not making him feel any better.

"Kind of," Oshitari admitted. "Our cousin Chiho—not his sibling, our fathers had another sister—is getting married in two months, and she has this fancified notion in her head that all her beloved cousins must bring a date. Kenya has his girlfriend, and Shouta found a date too, and I would never be able to live it down if—."

Erena interrupted with a smile. "Relax, Yuushi. I'll go with you as friends if you can't find anyone else."

He paused. "You would really do that, Erena?"

"Of course I would. But you have to do me a favor in return."

"Oh, what's that?"

"Well…what do you think about Greece?"

**~xXx~**

For some unknown, god be damned reason, Sakaki found himself in a bar that night, taking shots like his life depended on it. He had too much to clear out of his mind. One thought, however, would not escape no matter how much alcohol he drank.

Miura Fuyuko was slowly breaking him, slowly tearing him apart with her wolf claws.

_What are you, Alpha?_

**~xXx~**

**End**

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N: **I'm not gonna lie, but I'm not very pleased with this chapter. I apologize if it's too boring, but I'm trying to breeze through districts and prefectures so things can start getting serious at the Kantou. I feel like that's where the competition becomes real, because then Rikkai will become much more of a threat.

Also, if you haven't already, please check out and leave a review to a one-shot I wrote called _**forever flying with angels**_. It doesn't really have anything to do with Hyotei, but it's a prelude to the Rikkai girls from the point of view of their former captain.

Please leave a review!

-Cara


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or Lilting Glamour's OCs

**A/N: **I wanted to take some more time to flesh out these characters, even though this story is 90% characterization and 10% actual tennis.

This chapter contains the most swearing so far. And lots of Oshitari too. Lots and lots and lots.

* * *

**~xXx~**

"_Come over the hills and far with me/And be my love in the rain_." _–Robert Frost_

**~xXx~**

* * *

"How _could_ he?" Tsukiko groaned, running her hands through her hair as a telltale upset habit of hers. "I know Atobe-kun usually gets away with whatever he wants, but hurting Yuuka like that…that's just…"

Oshitari, who was reading the school newspaper at that very moment, finished for her. "Uncalled for and insensitive and terrible?" His brows were raised, mouth set in a firm line that was not very happy.

She nodded, plopping down—still with the grace and elegance of a swan, Erena noticed with envy—onto the seat across from him. "Exactly."

"Give me that," Erena said, snatching the paper from Oshitari's hands. She skimmed the article, eyes widening with each word she read. "_Bastard,_" she swore. "What the hell was he thinking?" Erena demanded, throwing it back down at Oshitari. "They dated for four years, that should be enough for him to know better! "

Oshitari grimaced, rubbed his forehead and stood up. "I'll talk to him," he decided, opening the door to the clubroom. Pausing, he added, "Granted, Akechi probably kicked his ass already."

**~xXx~**

"I. Fucking. Hate. You." Yuuka growled, stalking over to the culprit. "Get the fuck back here, you arrogant bastard."

Unruffled like the royal peacock he was, Atobe merely sighed. "Yuuka-chan, such profane language is not ladylike," he reminded, trying to ignore that seedling of dread in the pit of his stomach.

"Shut the hell up, Keigo," she snapped, eyes menacing. "You sound like that stuck up bitch Harada, pretending to be all ladylike and shit."

"Is it really necessary to swear so much? Your point still comes across without all of it." Despite the brave words, Atobe could not help but feel dread creeping up his arms and across his neck and taking over every section of his body.

She growled—literally growled, teeth exposed and eyes narrowed—, and he would not have been surprised if she were to slash her claws scross his face. Yet they stayed by her sides, unsheathed but ready to strike.

Yuuka took another step forward, cutting him with just her eyes. "Listen here, Keigo—" when had she stopped using the honorifics again? "—I don't care if you had all the good intentions in the world, but you had _no fucking right_ to expose that in the school newspaper!"

"It's not like anyone actually reads it!"

"The whole damn school reads it, including you and all the parents!"

He had never quite seen her like this before. Yuuka was made of sarcasm and sass, and as a result easily prone to anger or exasperation. But this upset, convincingly ready to kill him with anguish on her face? This was a first.

And, well, even Atobe had to admit that he'd been wrong. It had been so very wrong and insensitive and crude of him to say that in an interview, and it had not shone her in a very good light. Not that Yuuka even cared about how others saw her, but it was this specific topic that could make her so upset.

She took a deep breath, and when she looked up at him there was just a tiny sliver of sadness in her eyes. It wasn't close to bad, but it was the most remorseful he'd ever seen of Yuuka. "I told you so many times that it was impossible, that it just won't ever happen and that it isn't my fault, and that's how you see things? I tried so hard, Keigo, so goddamn hard, and if that's what you really think about me you can go fuck yourself," she said calmly, a slight tremor in her voice.

If he could take back those words he'd told the girl who ran the weekly Hyotei newspaper he would do so in less than a heartbeat, less than a blink of the eye.

"Yuuka-chan," he said softly, reaching for her and resting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm sorry, so very sorry." She just kept on glaring, prompting him to smile ruefully. "Nothing I can say will fix this, right? Because it's something that never should have been touched upon?"

Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her to his chest, resting his chin atop her dyed hair. Still she did not move, claws still unsheathed by her sides. "But I really am sorry, okay?"

Grudgingly—he could tell even though he couldn't see her face—, she sheathed her claws and hugged his waist just the slightest awkwardly. "It's your fault," she mumbled, bitterness in every word, every syllable. She didn't cry though, because Yuuka didn't cry.

Absently he held a section of her hair in his fingers, stared at it until he could just see the rose gold underneath the pink and purple. But maybe it was just his imagination. "I know, Yuuka."

Perhaps it was wicked of him to want to see her cry.

**~xXx~**

"Come here, Minori."

Harada Minori sat down elegantly, smoothing her skirt and fixing her hair. "Yes, Father?" She already knew what this was about. Everybody who had connections to Hyotei and just about all of Tokyo knew, in fact.

Her father straightened a newspaper in front of him, pointing to a section that was highlighted and circled. "There's something interesting Atobe Keigo has revealed about his ex-girlfriend in here, Minori. Read it out loud for me, will you?"

She would much rather die than read something Atobe said about Akechi Yuuka, even if it was something bad. But she accepted anyway, clearing her throat before reading, "Atobe Keigo and Akechi Yuuka were the talk of the city during their four year run, but a shocking secret following their breakup has us seeing them in a new light." It was so corny and cliché how this was written. The school newspaper really needed better editors and writers.

"Iseki Fumiko asked Atobe-san about his thoughts on his ex, namely what kind of relationship they have now. Upon a first glance it's quite clear that they're still very close, but are they really that close? Atobe-san's response reassured us that they are still very good friends, but that their previously romantic relationship was actually one-sided.''

"'Yuuka-chan didn't love me,' he stated plainly, as if it were obvious as day. 'At first I thought that it was because she wasn't taking the relationship seriously, but then she explained that she physically could not and did not love me. It's a setback of a trial she underwent before birth, and of course it's not her fault, but it would have been appreciated if she'd told me before entering the relationship.'"

Even Harada had to wince internally at his words. Much as she did not like Akechi Yuuka, and she knew Akechi did not like her in return, those words hurt to just read. That certainly explained her expressive rage earlier that day in school.

It wasn't that she hated Akechi, not really. Harada would have to say that she was envious of how the other girl could be as unladylike as possible and still be so cool, so collected and sorted out. Or at least, she was collected and sorted out until Atobe had to open his big mouth and say something like that.

Her father, however, was not on the same page as her. "Do you see how excellent this is, Minori? Atobe-san is clearly still upset over his breakup with the Akechi girl, and this is the perfect opportunity for you to snatch his heart."

She wanted to slap him for saying that, but ladies didn't do that. Akechi Yuuka did. "How, Father?" she asked instead, trying to keep her eyebrow from twitching at that expression on his face.

"You simply learn from the girl who stole his heart first."

Okay, she _really _wanted to slap him now. Or maybe, she thought, it wouldn't be that bad of an idea, considering he wanted her to act like Akechi Yuuka now, the most unladylike of all Hyotei.

"Are you saying I should dye my hair and get my brain tinkered on?" She asked, thinly veiled sarcasm in her voice.

Her father, however, did not notice. "Minori, I am not asking you to change your appearance. If anything, I want to take a page out of Akechi Yuuka's book and learn how to seduce Atobe-san."

_Seduce Atobe-kun_. Of course. Wasn't that the whole purpose of her existence?

"Yes, Father."

Harada had no intentions of acting like Akechi Yuuka. Not if the consequences were getting hurt like she had this morning.

**~xXx~**

Some felt sympathy for Yuuka, namely Tsukiko, Erena, and Oshitari. Some felt vicious pleasure, because they thought that she deserved it.

Then there was Shun, who honestly could not give a fuck.

So what if Atobe had said some hurtful words and exposed Yuuka's biggest and only insecurity? She walked in today with cold fire in her eyes, and nobody except Tsukiko and Erena had dared to approach her. And she assigned killer laps and suicides to the club members, but that was just how some people coped.

In short, unless Akechi Yuuka was drowning, bleeding, burning, or dead, Shun still did not give a fuck.

It didn't help that Taiki happened to speak for once and reveal something about himself that she had not known before. "Hi, Nee-san. This is my best friend, Akechi Hayato." He said, gesturing to a boy with black hair and solemn green—eden, to be more exact—eyes next to him. In their house. In their living room. An Akechi in the fucking living room of their fucking house.

Let the world end now, she begged.

"It's nice to meet you, Akechi-kun," was all she said, curt and short and uninviting and not the least bit friendly. That was accented by the slamming of her bedroom door.

Shun hadn't even known there was an Akechi son, had always thought Yuuka was an only child. She wondered vaguely what kind of sister Yuuka was, whether she was cold towards her own brother like the general population or as kind as she was to her best friends. She suspected it was in between the two.

Oh lord, if Yuuka happened to be the one picking Hayato up tomorrow…all hell was going to break loose, that was for sure.

To keep her mind off things, she decided to kill some time and just text Takara—not that she ever actually needed an excuse to text her. Shun clung very tightly to her belief that Takara was her one and only friend, and no one else.

_Himura Shun: Started scouting out the competition yet?_

_Suzuki Takara: Oh please, we started ages ago._

_Himura Shun: Any good teams to be wary of, then?_

_Suzuki Takara: Well, if you insist upon knowing. Our scouts report that Seigaku's not bad, and Rokkaku's decent. Oh, and of course there's a little school called Hyotei that's not too shabby._

_Himura Shun: That's very funny, Takara._

_Suzuki Takara: I know, I'm such a riot, aren't I? Anyway, how's Taiki doing? Haven't seen the kid in a long time._

Internally, Shun thought, _it's because you left, Takara. You left like everyone else, like Nee-san and Onii-chan and Mariko and even Mom, when I thought you would be the only one who'd stay._

_Himura Shun: He's good. Scored second on his midterms a while back._

_Suzuki Takara: Oh? Smart kid, smart kid. I got fiftieth on ours. You?_

_Himura Shun: Twenty-first._

_Suzuki Takara: Not bad. Azami (she's our brainiac) got first. But guess what? She tied with Yanagi. Yanagi fucking Renji of all people. Go Aza._

_Himura Shun: Good for her (not that I care)_

_Suzuki Takara: Rude._

_Himura Shun: (not that I care)_

_Suzuki Takara: You're a funny child, aren't you? Well I've got to get back to practice, so I'll text you later._

Just like everyone else, Takara left. Except, it hurt just a little more.

**~xXx~**

The four days following the incident with the school newspaper were, as Oshitari put it lightly, interesting days. There was tension everywhere, between the tennis teams and the newspaper committee, between Shun and Yuuka, and even between Atobe and that Harada Minori.

To start with, Oshitari saw exactly how much damage Sorano Tsukiko could cause when someone flipped her switch. Gone was the sweet and kind and melodic voiced singer, and there erupted an angry fire goddess. Well, only aimed towards the newspaper committee. He had unfortunately witnessed the tail end of her "discussion" with them, and the look on Iseki Fumiko's face was as pale as if someone had frozen her to death.

The two second years were even getting in on it, or more accurately Airi was somehow dragging Chizuru along. Oshitari learned that they both had very loyal feelings towards Yuuka, although for different reasons. Airi admired her strength, aspired to become a tennis player as tactical her. Chizuru, on the other hand, the shy girl she was, respected her for her intelligence and how nothing ever seemed to get to her.

So when Oshitari caught them in the midst of their plan to—actually it was Airi's plan—drop buckets of red acrylic paint and glitter on the newspaper committee, he had to put his foot down and tell them not to. Shy, kind Chizuru was not to be tainted like that, and Atobe wanted someone to keep an eye on Airi. Oshitari was still in charge of tutoring her since Chizuru was too busy most of the time.

Erena wasn't quite innocent, either. One glance at her might scream fragility, from the wrist brace to the delicate fairy features, but then they saw her height and proud expression and knew she was not one to mess with. In fact, Oshitari had been walking home with her when she walked right up to Wakahisa the editor of the paper and slapped him across the face. With her right hand too, the one that was capable of those forehands even he sometimes couldn't touch. Needless to say, Wakahisa had a purple handprint on his face the next day, stretching from forehead to chin.

Even Anna and Ikue, tied for the second most reserved team members, shot glares at the committee members and anyone who so much as uttered Yuuka's name. This of course he made a comment about during class one day, to which Anna merely smiled a twisted smile and told him to "mind his own fucking business". It might have just been him, but a bespectacled mahogany haired girl sitting behind them looked up at them when she said that.

Then, the infamous heated rivalry between Shun and Yuuka was even more tension filled than usual. Something had struck within Himura Shun, made her more hateful and scoffing of Yuuka with each passing day. True to herself, Yuuka ignored her, but he had no doubt that she would snap soon. Even geniuses have their limits. He knew that, even though he wasn't really a genius.

As for Harada Minori, well, that was certainly something very interesting. Everyone knew of Harada's attempts at winning over Atobe, and while Oshitari could not say he was the one Atobe confided everything to—that honor would always and only ever go to Kabaji—, he knew that the brown haired boy did not like her. Especially after what had happened with Tanaka Jun.

But there were some things that Atobe did not confide in him that he knew anyway, because they were quite obvious. Harada Minori was the precise opposite of Akechi Yuuka, and yet somehow Yuuka was the one who had dated Atobe for four years. Ever since their second year of middle school Harada had always kept a close eye on Yuuka, trying to figure out what made her so special in Atobe's eyes. In all honesty, Oshitari wasn't so sure himself.

As for his opinion on Harada, he didn't really know or care about her. Under normal circumstances she might have been the type of girl he'd like to spend an evening with, but this was Harada Minori, and she seemed dead set on scoring Atobe. And, well, after somehow being dubbed "Atobe Keigo's Wingman" by the general population (he himself did not think nor want to be Atobe's wingman), it was probably better for him to not cause any rumors with her.

Perhaps the worst of it all, there was still some leftover tension between Atobe and Yuuka, tension so thick it could be cut through with a knife—hell, maybe even a fork, or even fingernails. It was tension still leftover from their breakup last year, and Oshitari doubted it would go away any time soon. Not as long as people kept on whispering and gossiping about the former couple.

The day the newspaper had been released and Oshitari had just left Tsukiko and Erena, he had walked in on Atobe and Yuuka in his study. And he was kissing her, arms engulfing her like he was trying to hide her from the rest of the world. But she didn't move, didn't even kiss him back. It looked painful for both sides. Oshitari had been forced to cough and subsequently break it up between them, causing Yuuka to leave and Atobe to stare after her with a sort of detached look.

"I had to," was all he said, emotionless and empty. "I had to sort one last thing out before…and now I wish I had left it untouched."

_You arrogant son of a bitch_, Oshitari thought, staring at this pathetic, worn down version of his friend. _You started moving on after she couldn't love you, and now you're regretting it_.

Strangely, as he found himself awkwardly patting Atobe on the back, he imagined a girl with mahogany hair who sat behind him in class.

"You don't still love Akechi-san, do you?" he had to ask. This was crucial to the situation.

Atobe shook his head. "I loved her for four years, but not anymore," he replied honestly. And Oshitari believed him, he really did. Atobe would not lie about something like this.

As they were about to leave, Atobe suddenly asked, "Did you ever feel like there were words left unsaid between you and Fukumitsu?"

Oshitari paused, considered the question. "Don't be such a sap, Atobe. It doesn't go well with your face."

**~xXx~**

To answer Atobe's question, yes, there were some things Oshitari wished could have gone differently with Erena. She was his ideal girl, though maybe too tall, and while he was satisfied with their friendship, sometimes he caught himself thinking about their dating days.

He had asked her out during their third year of middle school, and they dated for a year. Back then her hair had been long, grown past her chest and tied back in low pigtails. She still had her fringe, but had not dyed green streaks through it yet. In short, Erena was a little more childish back then, still a hint of roundness in her cheeks and bright youthfulness in her eyes.

And then one day following their breakup, she knocked on his door and told him that she needed a makeover, a change. Baffled, Oshitari had gone along with it, but had secretly wondered why the sudden urge. She wasn't upset over their breakup, and she didn't have a new boyfriend, so what could it be?

He'd watched her get her hair cut short, then dyed green highlights in, and only then did he realize that she was a good five centimeters taller than him. Her face had lost any roundness, was now more angular and adult like. Just when had she changed this much?

So maybe yes, there were some things Oshitari wished he could have said to her, asked why she felt the need to change her appearance. But everyone changed their appearance, didn't they? And she was still so driven when it came to tennis, so he didn't see anything physically wrong with her besides the fact that she came back from a trip to Greece with a broken left arm. It had been broken before she underwent her makeover, and the only explanation she'd ever served was that she hadn't been careful enough.

But the main difference between Oshitari and Erena compared to Atobe and Yuuka was that Oshitari did not love Erena romantically, while Atobe appeared to have had some lingering feelings. Everyone knew about Yuuka now, but she was still as unreadable as a book with all the pages torn out. Add Harada Minori and the sudden appearance of Tanaka Jun to equation, and this was all even more interesting than he'd originally thought.

**~xXx~**

A week following the incident, there was still some tension left in the air, but it had decreased by a lot. Anna, though not personally affected by what happened, was glad nonetheless. She rather liked Yuuka for her cunning and apathetic nature, so she had not hesitated in telling off some haters of her.

Her and Ikue were becoming quite good friends, too, and she really enjoyed the company. Things had not been the same ever since Misaki left, and sometimes Anna wished she could see Akiko—Misaki's best friend and doubles partner—again, too. Anna had plenty of friends, most of them other girls on Hyotei's Beauty Queen list, but some of them were stupid, others arrogant, and some just plain annoying. Ikue was plain but steady and much more down to earth, which she greatly appreciated.

And while she knew Atobe and Yuuka hated it, Anna was friends with Harada Minori too. Harada was another one of the beauty queens, and one of the sanest of the bunch. Anna could not hate her for trying to charm Atobe, she was a seventeen year old girl for heaven's sake. But she had been rather upset over finding out what happened between Harada and Jun, whose presence she came to like.

As for tennis, Anna was improving at a satisfying rate. She finally managed to beat Ikue after a three set match, which she viewed as a small victory. Then she'd been paired against Erena the next practice match, and that had been a completely different story.

Anna wasn't stupid. She knew that she would never be able to beat Erena, not even if she stayed until midnight practicing. She simply did not have the natural talent the taller girl possessed, and was fine with that. But the last thing Anna wanted was to be the team's weak link, which was why she was determined to stay in the middle but not get too high up the pack.

Oh, and of course there was that Oshitari Yuushi. He spoke to her more often now, small, meaningless conversation that would have been insignificant had there not been a particular gleam to his eyes. It was as if he were analyzing her, trying to figure her out without being too obvious or probing too much. She didn't really care, as long as he didn't get too cocky and think he had special privileges to her. Those were not handed out anymore.

Anna left class a little late on Friday, thinking about their prefectural match the next day. It was against St. Rudolph, whose girls could hardly be classified as a good team. If all went according to plan they'd be playing Seigaku in the second round and some no name school in the third. Seigaku would be a threat, but that didn't mean Tsukiko and Shun were going to be careless with the lineup.

If there was one god-be-damned thing she couldn't stand though, it had to be Sakaki. The day following districts he'd stumbled into school with dark shadows under his red eyes and winced at every loud noise—telltale signs of a hangover. She'd seen her father like that enough times after the divorce, only returning back to normal when Yuzuki appeared one day.

The man wasn't even doing anything, anyway. Anna seldom saw him helping the boys out, and he'd sat in as bench coach during Districts but hadn't said much. In fact, she didn't recall him even opening his mouth or _looking_ at his team. She was actually good friends with Taki, who had faithfully remained a sub-regular since getting kicked off during middle school. He said that Sakaki was a good coach albeit strict, but she didn't believe a word of it.

Okay, so maybe she was biased and bitter, which was the only reason why she hated him. And well, she didn't _really _hate him, but whenever she walked past the art room a wave of hatred spread over her all the way from her toes to the ends of her hair. _You did this, you bastard old man. You made her quit, it was your fault._

_You'd better be sorry._

**~xXx~**

"Um, excuse me, Hayashi-san?"

She looked up and saw the last person she'd expect to see talking to her. "Oh, hey, Tanaka-san. Is there something you need?" Anna's friendship with Harada Minori had set Jun on edge ever since the _incident_, and it was painfully awkward because she still liked the mahogany haired girl.

Jun shifted nervously, like she already regretted coming up and talking to her. "Not really, but I was wondering if you could ask Chizuru-san if she could tutor Choutarou tomorrow? It's just for one day, and only because I suddenly have another commitment and—"

"And Kataoka likes Ootori?" Anna raised a brow. That much was clear as day to everyone but Choutarou himself. For God's sake, she wouldn't be surprised if even Jirou knew of it.

She laughed a little. "Yeah, I guess you could put it that way. So can you do it for me, Hayashi-san?"

Before Anna could reply, another voice strolled in. "Anna-chan, what are you doing here? Practice starts in two minutes," Oshitari called, stopped right next to her—and a little too close for comfort, to be completely honest.

She gritted her teeth slightly. _Don't think you have sudden privileges. _"Shit, I forgot. Akechi's gonna kill me," she said instead, hastily picking up her bag. "See you later, Tanaka-san."

"…oh," was all Jun said in response, flustered by the sudden departure.

Oshitari walked by her side, hands in pockets and head tilted back ever so slightly. "I didn't know you were friends with Tanaka Jun-san," he commented lightly.

"Not really," Anna shrugged. "She just wanted me to tell Kataoka something."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him watching her, eyes glinting behind his glasses. Did the bastard really think he was all that clever, just because the general population thought he was a genius? _Idiot_.

_Don't you dare think you've got some special privileges, Oshitari. Because I'm anything but weak._

* * *

**~xXx~**

**End**

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N: **Just had a sudden urge to write about Lilting Glamour's Tanaka Jun and Harada Minori, and this is what happened. There's still a lot of things about Yuuka to be revealed, this only being the first.

You know, I think I'll try my hand in the fun fact thing I've seen other authors do. It's a really cool idea, and I just wanted to try it. The first one is on a character that it seems a lot of people like.

_**Some Things on Himura Shun:**_

_She kind of hates her name because it's too boyish. Whenever the teachers call out attendance on the first day of school they always call her "Himura Shun-kun", which she's gotten used to but still finds annoying._

_Her hair accidentally got dyed traffic cone orange during vacation and she refused to leave the house until it washed off three weeks later._

_When she was younger and in particularly bad moods she would duct tape her mouth shut so people would leave her alone. Mariko always made fun of her for it (but it worked so take that). It would be weird to still do that now, but it's very tempting sometimes._

_Her favorite color is any shade of green besides eden. For a reason that she keeps close to her heart, forest green has a certain effect on her._

_She once created a fake account for a dating website with Takara. A few days later, thirty people were asking "Takechi Iria" for a date, and there were four marriage proposals. To this very day the account is still there but untouched after someone wrote a highly suggestive message that left both Shun and Takara scarred for life._

Leave a review with your thoughts! And which girl should I do next for the fun facts?

-Cara


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or Lilting Glamour's characters

**A/N: **Guys, there's a really long A/N at the end about something kind of personal but really important to me, so you can skip over it if you want but it's just something I wanted to say.

* * *

**~xXx~**

"_But if you'll never try then you'll never know_

_Just what you're worth."_

_-Coldplay, Fix You_

**~xXx~**

* * *

"Are you okay, Sakaki-sensei?" Chizuru tilted her head, brows knitted in concern. She had asked him if she could pick up some sheet music after tennis practice, and he was currently unlocking the music room. "You look very tired."

Sakaki managed a small, wry smile. "Everything's alright, Kataoka," he nodded, rubbing his temples. "Prefectures are tomorrow, as you know, and the boys are rather excited."

Chizuru laughed quietly. "Sorano-buchou and Himura-fukubuchou are really busy, too, deciding the lineup and all that stuff," she agreed. "And Akechi-senpai being Akechi-senpai must be trying to kill us with conditioning."

He could easily imagine that. "Are you enjoying being on the team again?" Chizuru was one of the few members of the girls' team that didn't hate him, and he hoped to keep things that way. Sakaki was good friends with Aomori, her piano teacher, and often helped out with lessons and competitions.

The girl's rose colored eyes dimmed, her teeth biting into her lip. "Of course I am, but…" she trailed off uncertainly, like she was afraid of admitting something. "…but I'm the worst one on the team, so Sorano-buchou probably won't put me in the lineup that much, and I think she'll probably make Airi-chan captain next year."

Ah. That was what this was about. Once upon a time ago Sakaki might have told her to quit, that if she was the worst she wasn't good enough, but things had changed since he was coaching middle school tennis.

Atobe and the other third year boys had requested him to coach their high school team, as "the current once is an idiot" according to Mukahi. But they had made a deal with him saying that he was not allowed to make decisions on who would be cut.

"So nobody's allowed to get cut once they make it as a regular? Is that what you're trying to say?" Sakaki had laughed harshly, shaking his head in disbelief. Honestly, what on earth were these boys thinking, saying that they knew more than him.

Shishido shook his head. "What we're trying to say is that just because someone loses an official match doesn't mean they can be kicked off the team. Do you really still think nobody deserves a second chance?" He stated gruffly, staring him straight in the eye. Of course Shishido would say that, when he himself had fallen off the mountain and climbed back up to the top.

Sakaki could emphasize with that.

The next year, he transferred from middle school to high school tennis coaching, and there he met Miura Fuyuko, one of the most interesting people he'd ever met. At twenty-five, she explained that she had dropped out of college during her second year and had been making a small income with her paintings. She worked as Hyotei's art teacher and girls' tennis team coach to support herself and lived a steady life.

He hadn't liked her at first, found her to be wishy-washy and so _annoyingly _smiley. But then he saw her lead her team that afternoon, and realized that she was not to be taken lightly. The woman knew what she was doing, and her authority was never questioned. It was rather strange how it all worked out, but he never doubted her again.

Until she'd presumably gotten fired and told him later that she'd quit, that is. Now he didn't quite know what to think of her. Especially not after what had happened the last time he'd tried visiting her.

Kataoka though, he found, was different from the likes of Shishido and Taki. Sakaki would be lying to say she was a bad tennis player, because she was actually quite good. He could see how she thought she was the worst but didn't know if it was necessarily true.

"So what?" He suddenly blurted out, causing Chizuru to almost drop her sheet music in surprise. "I don't know or think you are, but so what if you're the worst? There's no such thing as a weak link, and you're incredibly multi-talented, Kataoka. You could do whatever you want and still succeed."

She mumbled out a quick thank you, but didn't quite seem convinced as she left the room.

He's surprised himself yet again, because he definitely wouldn't have found himself saying those words three years ago.

_Too many things have changed since then. _

**~xXx~**

"This is such a joke," Yuuka yawned, lacing her fingers behind her head. "St. Rudolph isn't worth shit."

This caused Tsukiko to shoulder check her like she always did, a motion the girls on the team came to recognize after a while. "Don't scare them off again, Yuuka. I for one actually want to get through a full match," she chided.

Doubles 2 was starting in half an hour, and the Sorano/Akechi pair was going to be playing it this round. All the other girls besides Erena had wandered off somewhere, a certain pair of sophomores probably off causing trouble. Or, as Tsukiko put it, having a magical adventure that involved unicorns and rainbows.

Dear lord, she was starting to freak herself out with those kind of thoughts. What was she, five?

Erena, who was slotted for Singles 2 just in case—nobody doubted Hyotei wouldn't sweep St. Rudolph, but whatever—had been staring off somewhere for a good while now. Suddenly, she grinned and nudged Tsukiko. "Would you look at that," she commented, grinning wider than before.

That caught the attention of even Yuuka, who shifted slightly from her comfortable position on the bench. "Well well well," she stretched out the words, her own grin broad. "That's something indeed. Look, Tsuki, your favorite sophomore is finally making a move."

Tsukiko, who had no idea what she was talking about, glanced up. Chizuru and Choutarou were sitting together at a picnic table with several books and papers spread out. They were even sitting on the same side, conversing peacefully as they did their homework together.

_Good for you, Chizuru-chan_, Tsukiko thought warmly. _I'm proud of you_.

Though she was very fond of Airi, the red haired captain had to admit that she liked Chizuru better. Airi was energetic and a ray of sunshine, yes, but there was something about Chizuru's quiet diligence that really struck her. And the fact that the first time she met her it had been because Tsukiko had overheard her confession to Choutarou, but that wasn't important. The girl had been crying silently after he had rejected her, and Tsukiko had naturally felt the need to comfort her.

Suddenly, Tsukiko couldn't help but feel lonely, like she was missing out on something that everyone else had. Yuuka and Erena had broken up with Atobe and Oshitari, but they had at least had good relationships. Now Chizuru, who she would forever think of as a younger sister, was making some progress. Tsukiko couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever move from square one, if she would ever get her first kiss or confession.

She tried to ignore it, but a bitter, nasty voice in her head whispered to all of them—to Yuuka and Erena and even shy, worn down Chizuru of all people—, _what do you have that I don't?_

Jealousy was such an ugly, ugly thing, and Tsukiko didn't feel so pretty anymore.

**~xXx~**

_Well this is awkward…_

Chizuru had been surprised and slightly mortified when Anna had passed on Jun's message to her but hadn't questioned it, deciding to just go along with it. But even though Choutarou didn't show any sign of remembering her failed confession to him all those years ago, it didn't help that they were both slightly awkward people and Shishido was sitting only a few feet away from them.

"You almost got it this time, Ootori-kun, except you misspelled 'rhythm.'" She read over his answers.

Choutarou, who had added an "e" by accident, looked confused. "But doesn't every word in English have to have a vowel in it?" He pointed out.

"Sometimes a 'y' counts as a vowel," Chizuru explained, a small smile on her face. "But you're absolutely right, Ootori-kun."

He smiled in return, ambers eyes closed in a peaceful expression. "You were a part of the exchange group in middle school right, Kataoka-san? How did you like America?"

_He actually knew I existed back then? _"It's nice there, and Denver's really pretty, but I got lost with Etsu-chan once and it took a long time to get back." She admitted, laughed a little. "Shioya-sensei was really mad at us and we got lectured, so I don't know if I'm exactly welcome to go back."

Choutarou laughed. "I wanted to go on that trip, you know," he mentioned. "But my English grades weren't nearly high enough, so I wasn't allowed to go." There was a trace of ruefulness in his voice, and Chizuru couldn't help but feel just a little sorry for him. Only the top twenty scorers in English went, Kabaji included, and Choutarou had never been able to get a grasp on the language.

"Well, there's always next year," she reminded gently, propping open the textbook to a new page. "And if you want to go, you'll just have to study hard, Ootori-kun." _And if you can't make it I would give up my spot for you. You don't know how much I would give up for you, even if it's stupid of me to do so._

He smiled at her again, and she couldn't help but feel so good and yet so sad.

**~xXx~**

Hyotei made a clean sweep of St. Rudolph, advancing easily to the second round of prefectures. By request of Tsukiko and Shun, they were to meet up at Erena's house after dinner to discuss something important.

"Why Fukumitsu-senpai's house, though?" Airi wondered as she and Chizuru walked to the address.

Chizuru smiled a little. "Every time there's any kind of meeting it's always held at Erena-senpai's house because there's the most space there. Everyone else has siblings, but not her, so it's quieter." She paused for a second, rethought something. "Actually, I _think _they all have siblings. Akechi-senpai and Himura-fukubuchou have younger brothers, and Sorano-buchou has a sister. I think Hayashi-senpai's sister moved out though."

"What about Shiina-senpai?" Airi hardly even knew Ikue, sometimes she even forgot she was there.

"Shiina-senpai…I don't know. She never shares anything about her home life, I guess she's just a very private person," the curly haired girl mused.

The shorter girl said, "Then how come Shiina-senpai and Hayashi-senpai can be such good friends?" Anna and Ikue's friendship was the strangest phenomenon she'd ever seen, and she still couldn't wrap her head around.

"Well…" Chizuru cast her eyes to the sidewalk. "How are we friends then, Airi-chan?" She asked quietly.

Airi paused, actually stopped walking and stood there for a second. She was not one to question friendships usually, just thought that if people got along they were friends. She had never stopped to think about her relationship with Kabaji, wondered all of a sudden if she had been neglecting him recently because she'd finally made some friends that were girls.

_Tomorrow I'll ask Munehiro if he wants to come over. Keigo-senpai too, if he's not busy_.

She jogged to catch up with Chizuru, linked their arms together. "Because we're just so special, Zuru." Airi decided, flashing her a bright grin. Of all the people she knew, Chizuru was indeed special and needed to be told so. She wouldn't believe it, Airi knew, but that didn't mean she wouldn't ever.

"'Zuru'?" She looked absolutely perplexed, like the name was foreign and unfamiliar on her tongue.

"It's your nickname, since Chizuru is too long. That's why I call Munehiro 'Mune' sometimes."

"Huh."

"Come on, Zuru, we're going to be late."

For some stupidly nice reason—Airi's suggestion, obviously—they skip the rest of the way there, arms linked the whole time.

**~xXx~**

"I'm impressed, Yoshida, you're actually not late for once," Yuuka commented, flicking the short girl on the forehead. "Though Kataoka probably had to drag you all the way here so you wouldn't get distracted by the first doughnut shop or whatever. Props to you, Kataoka," as she ruffled Chizuru's long hair.

Tsukiko appeared, pushing Yuuka out of the way. "In other words, we're glad you're here. Everyone else is up in Erena's room right now, let's go," she smiled warmly, leading them with such familiarity they would have thought it was her own home.

It was a nice house, decently big but not oversized to the point of extravagance like Atobe's many mansions. There were hints of Greek architecture in the staircases and roof shape, creating quite a nice affect. Airi quite liked the simple yet tasteful designs. "So what's with this sudden meeting, Tsukiko-buchou?" she asked, suddenly remembering they'd come in the first place.

The captain smiled a little, opening the door to Erena's room. "You'll find out in a second, Airi-chan."

Airi was going to reply, but all words were stuck in her throat when she got a look at the bedroom. It was quite literally covered in photos, the walls made up of high quality photos. Even the floor, she noticed, was neatly arranged out of photographs, with a clear, sealed coating to protect them and make it possible to walk over. And they were pictures of just about everything, from mountain scenery to goofy pictures of friends.

She noted with particular interest that Tsukiko and Yuuka were in many of them, yet there weren't many recent ones of Erena. Most of the pictures she appeared in showed a younger version of her with long, jet black hair in low pigtails. Even Oshitari showed up in quite a few of them, along with a brown haired boy who looked about their age with the same blue eyes as Oshitari.

"That's Kenya-kun, Yuushi's cousin," Erena explained from her perch on the bed, snapping Airi's attention away from the photos. She didn't know how the senior had noticed her looking at that exact photo out of undeniably hundreds, but didn't say anything either. "I take these all myself."

"That's…that's amazing, Erena-senpai!" Airi exclaimed in awe. "But how come you didn't finish the ceiling?" The ceiling was only half covered, the half above her bed left bare with white paint.

Erena merely smiled. "Because I'm looking for something that's important enough to be the first thing I see when I wake up."

**~xXx~**

There was a TV in Erena's room, which Yuuka inserted a tape into. She cleared her throat, cracking her knuckles smartly. "All right girls, let get to it. We crushed St. Rudolph today, but it won't be that easy next week. We're playing Seigaku."

Ikue raised a brow in surprise. Seigaku already? She had expected to meet them in the prefecture finals, not the second round. But it didn't matter, because win or lose, Hyotei would move on to the Kantou. Everyone knew that it was Hyotei or Seigaku to be number one from Tokyo, but the only question was which one.

"Is this why you called us all over here? So we could watch Seigaku's tape?" Anna checked.

"Of course," Yuuka nodded, dropping down onto a beanbag chair. "And now we watch."

**~xXx~**

"Want to come over to my place today?"

Anna blinked. She had spent a lot of time with Ikue at her own house, but the other girl had never so much as mentioned her family life before. Anna didn't even know where she lived, or whether she even had a place in Tokyo. "Oh, sure…"

She wondered vaguely if Ikue's home life wasn't the best either. Anna already knew that Shun's parents had recently gotten divorced and that she'd cut all contact with three of her siblings, so it didn't seem like too far of a stretch to say that maybe Ikue's parents were divorced too. _Just like mine, actually_, she thought with twisted amusement.

They walked through a neighborhood Anna recognized, but not in a good way. This was the "trashy" place as her mother used to say, the place where the middle and lower class families lived (to which she'd been reminded that they technically weren't upper class either). It didn't seem that bad though, even if the only residential areas were apartments. She thought of her own house, not too big but decently sized with lots of rooms.

Who knew that Shiina Ikue of all people was at Hyotei on scholarship, too. She must be, if she lived in this kind of place.

_This kind of place. _Oh _shit_, she was turning into her mother now. God help her in case she ever turned into that kind of person.

They walked up to the fourth floor, where Ikue suddenly paused in front of number 416, pausing and staring down at the ground. She gulped a little, said, "There's a reason I don't talk about my home life, you know."

Anna could emphasize with that. "I get it."

"Yeah," Ikue nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear—and Anna suddenly noticed how she kept the two strips of dye always visible, that they were brushed carefully so they were in view at any angle. "But this is a little different, so..."

"Honestly, Shiina," Anna interrupted, smiling a little. "I won't judge you."

She merely smiled a twisted smile. "Will you really not, though?" Before the blonde girl could reply she had already unlocked the door and strode in.

Confused, Anna followed her into the apartment. It was smaller than she'd thought, though considerably bigger than a studio apartment—well, that should have been obvious though. When she saw a picture hanging on the wall, however, she froze, mouth dropping open. "Shiina…" It made so much sense now, why Ikue was so closed off about her personal life.

She looked away from the picture, saw Ikue standing with two people next to her. The smile on her face was even more twisted than before, and it was directed at Anna's shocked expression.

"Hayashi, meet my dads."

**~xXx~**

Erena didn't come here often, but when she did it was just for fun. She was naturally athletic and picked up sports easily so street basketball was a great sport to play when she wanted to relax. Unlike tennis, she didn't possess prodigal talents at basketball so there was no pressure and no expectations, just pure enjoyment.

"Hyotei wins!"

A very tall girl with black hair cracked her knuckles in victory and slapped Erena on the shoulder. "That last layup, Fukumitsu? You really should have joined us," Morita Leiko, the captain of the Hyotei girls' basketball team grinned. "Wasted talents, such wasted talents."

Erena rolled her eyes, ignoring the fact that the slap actually hurt. "About time you noticed, Morita-chan. You've just figured out why you haven't won yet in all your years on the team," she replied cheekily, ducking to avoid Leiko's fist.

"Oi, we're the third seed so we're not weak," she scoffed, cracking her knuckles again—the sound made the hairs on the back of Erena's neck stand up, god she hated that sound. "And the season hasn't officially started yet, but we're going to win this year, I just know it."

_The winner will be Hyotei_. "Good luck then, Morita-chan. You're really going to need it," Erena said quietly. "I think we have a chance this year, but Rikkai's as strong as ever. And we're playing Seigaku next week, which is pretty crazy to imagine since it's so early in the season." She thought of the video they'd watched earlier, of their Singles 1 player. It was unknown whether Seigaku would manage to bring them to five games, but they were serious and didn't take any shit this year.

Leiko grimaced a little at the mention of Seigaku. "Damn, you just reminded me. Seigaku's basketball is the first seed." She stretched out her back a lot less catlike than when Yuuka did it. "You'll come and watch though, won't you?"

Erena smiled a little. "Depends. Yuushi's invited me to go to his cousin's wedding in Osaka around the time your tournament starts, so we'll have to wait and see."

"_Oshitari_? Why are you going to his cousin's wedding with him?" The taller girl raised a brow curiously and skeptically.

"To be honest, I don't want to go," she confessed, staring at the basketball in her hands. It was Leiko's personal ball, and the surface was worn almost completely smooth and shiny. "I said I'd go if he doesn't find someone else, but I'd really rather not."

She thought of Yuushi and all his charming features and love for women, of how he knew her better than even Tsukiko and Yuuka. In some ways she'd taken his friendship for granted, didn't reveal any answers because he knew better than to ask. But he deserved better, and she knew that he probably didn't want to go to the wedding with her either. There were so many other girls out there, girls as graceful as Tsukiko, girls as mysterious as Ikue, and so many girls that were beautiful like Anna.

He could do so much better, and maybe that was why she'd never answered his unspoken questions. Maybe she was afraid of him actually finding someone better to replace her and forget about their friendship.

Which was why she needed him to go Greece with her, because that was the only way she'd be able to answer any questions. And after all that was over she thought she could maybe let him find someone so much better and then it wouldn't be as painful to have him forget about her.

_You've given me so much Yuushi, and I'd like to finally repay you._

She tossed the ball back to Leiko, exhaled a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. "If he really can't find someone though, I will go. Because isn't that what friends do?"

**~xXx~**

**End**

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N: **So this is my really long and personal note, and you don't have to read it because it _is_ really long and personal but I just want to let you know that I don't think I'll be updating for at least a few weeks and that I didn't put any fun facts at the end because I'm just not up to it.

Earlier this week a boy in my grade that sat next to me in math died by suicide. I can't exactly say I knew him all that well, but we talked sometimes and said hi in the hallways and it's just something that everything in our grade feels terrible about. Like, we're all wondering if there's something we did, and the teachers all feel guilty, and it's heartbreaking thinking how his parents and younger sister must feel. Nobody should ever even have to think about that, and it's just terrible and sad.

And I would have never expected something like this to happen to him. I mean yes, he'd been really quiet and seemed really sad for about two years now, which I guess is where his battle with depression started, but still. He was an honors student and wasn't bullied or anything, he was actually pretty popular. We had an all school assembly in the morning, and everyone was silent for a good minute before we all started crying. All of us were crying, even the freshmen and sophomores who didn't know him. Because it makes us wonder if other people are going through the same things, and some people had similar experiences. Half the seniors, including me, were so distressed that the teachers told us to go home for the day. We were told that there was so much academic pressure put on him that eventually his depression got the better of him, which I think is crudely worded but so, so true.

I'm an honors student too, and in terms of popularity standing and all that crap I guess I'm sort of like him. And I will honestly say that I cried out of half grief for him and half because it could have happened to me, or more importantly it could have happened to my brother. I'm in advanced math and writing classes, but my brother, Alec, is on a completely different level. By freshmen year he was only taking classes that were exclusively for juniors and seniors, and by senior year—my age—he only went to high school for music and took all his academic courses at the local university. All those years he was always the top of the class, even when the classes were so beyond his age level. He graduated from Cambridge University a few years back and is now doing very well as an adult, but none of that changes that fact that it could have been him who committed suicide.

Alec fought with depression all throughout high school because like the boy who died, there was just too much academic pressure on him and he almost broke multiple times during his last two years of high school. I see him every month and Skype and text him all the time, and I know that he's much better now—he's permanently settled down in London with a good job and is engaged to a girl he met in Cambridge—, but what if he had broken? I never thought too much into it before what happened last week, but then I spoke to one of the guidance counselors about it and they recommended that I went home for the day. So I did, but I cried so much when I got home that I didn't go to school the next day either.

I know it's selfish to think of myself in this situation, but I couldn't help but think about what could have happened. Before entering high school my parents had already planned for me to be like Alec and take only advanced honors classes. So I spent the whole summer before freshmen year studying. I didn't see any of my friends, and Alec was traveling during that summer. When the tests came by I was completely calm and confident but then I didn't pass any of them. I almost got into calculus and physics but my other scores were abysmal. I felt like complete shit for a long time, because I had spent a whole summer studying and it wasn't enough because I was constantly being reminded by my parents that I wasn't nearly as good as Alec. The first few weeks of freshmen year were terrible because everyone knew what had happened and all the sympathy and pity started getting really suffocating. I'm okay now, but it just hurt so much to see my parents look so disappointed and say that I wasn't good enough.

I'm not even sure what I'm trying to say at this point, but I guess it's just that Alec and my three younger brothers and my parents all mean the world to me, and what happened last week just hit me really hard. It's impossible for me to forget how depressed Alec was during high school, and when he left for university in another country we were all so worried that something bad might happen to him. I had a shitty time during my first year of high school, and I've learned a lot from that. My parents have too, because I still have three younger brothers who haven't gone to high school yet and I don't want them to go through the same stuff I went through and definitely not the depression that caused Alec to suffer so much. I just don't want anyone to ever go through that, and even though it's horribly cliché it's true that talking to someone does help. Keeping it all in is so much worse, trust me.

The boy's funeral is soon, and our grade is planning a memorial for him, so this will be my last update for a long time. I love writing, but it's honestly the last thing I want to do until the memorial is over, which should be in a couple weeks. So thanks for reading this really long and really personal note, and I'm sorry for spilling it all out here. I wrote this chapter a long time before this note, but I just didn't feel up to posting it yet until now. It's a tough time now for everyone in our community and there are a lot of personal things I need to address first.

Thanks for all the reviews and support, it really means a lot.

-Cara


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or Lilting Glamour's characters.

**A/N: **Hey guys, it's been a really long time. The memorial's over, and we're all okay now, I think.

I hope you'll like this chapter, it's a little longer to make up for that short hiatus.

* * *

**~xXx~**

"_Because maybe_

_You're gonna be the one that saves me_

_And after all_

_You're my wonderwall."_

_-_Oasis,_ Wonderwall_

**~xXx~**

* * *

Okamura Daisuke was tall and broad chested, with stylishly messy black hair and warm green eyes. He was taller than Erena and Choutarou, though definitely not to the height of Kabaji. Handsome, Anna thought, in a warm and gentle way despite his strong build.

Koike Hotaka was tall as well, though Daisuke stood half a head taller than him. His dark blond hair was parted to the side, bangs hanging over his right eye but not covering it. Hotaka had deep blue eyes, much more serious than Daisuke's though still kind in a different way.

"Would you like some tea, Hayashi-san?" Daisuke offered, setting the kettle on the stove. "Ikue always likes some lemon zinger when she gets home."

_Lemon zinger?_ Anna wondered dully. She hadn't expected Ikue to like herbal tea, though then again she really didn't know much about her in the first place. Clearly she hadn't known anything at all.

Suddenly realizing that Daisuke was waiting for an answer, she hastily nodded. "Yeah, uh…sure she answered lamely, wondering where her brain had gone. _So much for being ranked sixth in the grade._

Ikue hadn't looked at her after the brief introduction, had settled for staring at some invisible speck on the wall. She was upset at Anna, that much was obvious, but the blonde girl didn't know what for. Had she accidentally said anything offensive? No, Anna couldn't remember anything close to that.

The kettle went off, reminding Anna of how she'd let the kettle overflow when she first brought Ikue to _her _house. Now, as Daisuke busied himself with the teabags and Hotaka took the kettle off, she couldn't help but think that they were so at ease and comfortable with each other. It was funny how the tides had turned.

She wasn't against homosexuality, but that didn't mean it didn't shock her. Hell, if her sister were to suddenly come out it would shock her, but of course she'd be supportive. It wasn't a matter she thought of a lot, just dismissed as letting people do whatever they want because they were the only ones who could decide what to do with their lives. Don't criticize others and they won't criticize you. That was Anna's motto.

"Do you play tennis too, Hayashi-san?" Daisuke asked, handing her a warm mug of tea. He kind of reminded her of a bear, big and powerful but a gentle giant shown by his dazzingly kind smile. Hotaka, she found, was quiet and reserved by nature and chose to let his partner do the talking for him. It was really sweet, actually.

Anna nodded. "Yeah, I do. Shiina here's quite the badass though," she said, elbowing Ikue good-naturedly in an attempt to ease out any tension. "She beat me the first few times we played."

The other girl rolled her eyes, still staring at the wall but at least acknowledging her now. "Oh please, you beat me last time," she reminded, taking a sip of her tea.

"Damn right."

Daisuke smiled, hiding a laugh behind his hand. Even the corners of Hotaka's mouth tilted up a little, and he leaned ever so slightly against the taller man's arm. Anna caught the way they made eye contact, how Daisuke's green eyes shone when he smiled a smile meant only for Hotaka.

She hadn't known quite what she'd been expecting, but Anna really liked them. Well, she really liked Daisuke at least, because Hotaka hardly spoke, but they were, as far as she could tell, perfect for each other. Ikue clearly loved them, too, and Anna could see just how perfect of a family they were.

(God, she was becoming such a sap. Oshitari must be rubbing off on her)

**~xXx~**

"Checkmate."

Chizuru groaned, slumping back against her chair. "You win again, Etsu-chan," she sighed, offering a tired smile. "I should just give up, really."

The black haired girl sitting across from her frowned and shook her head in a patronizing way. "Don't slouch, Chizuru-chan, and don't say you'll give up, either. How will you ever make a living in this world if you give up so easily?" Etsu scoffed, pushing her glasses up. They were in the common room during lunch, where all the advanced students except Kabaji sat together and conversed properly every day.

Like Harada Minori, Etsu was ladylike and classy, with shiny black hair and analytic blue eyes. Her face was sharply angled in way that should have been scary but was actually kind of attractive, and her sleek glasses were always fitted perfectly.

Etsu was in the honors class with Chizuru and Kabaji and had ranked ninth in the grade. Chizuru liked her enough, even if she was too professional and had a one-track mind for business-like situations. If asked, however, she would say that Etsu was her best friend.

(Or maybe she wasn't, but that was what Chizuru liked to think)

"So," Etsu said, rearranging her chess pieces neatly. "Would you like to see the new movie with me tonight? Hideki-kun was supposed to take me, but then he had a last minute emergency. It would be a shame to let the tickets go to waste, though."

Ah, yes, the never-ending story of Etsu and Hideki, the boy she was smitten with ("Not smitten, but attracted to," Etsu always corrected with her nose tilted up). Hideki was also in the honors class, and although very smart (ranked third) Chizuru found him to lack common sense. But Etsu liked him, and she'd somehow come to believe that they were in a relationship despite him being denser than a block of lead covered in bubble wrap and locked in a soundproof room.

Still, she couldn't help but feel bad for her friend. "Of course I'll come, Etsu-chan. What time is i—."

"Zuru!"

_Oh shit_.

She couldn't help it, but she downright _cringed _when she heard the nickname being called. Worse, the room was dome shaped and everything echoed loudly, which was why most people took to whispering in here. As if it could get even worse, that voice happened to belong to someone that the honors students would _never _accept or even think to have them step foot inside their common room.

Well, it wasn't like Airi ever paid attention to what others thought, anyway. She came running towards Chizuru, and the auburn haired girl could see Etsu's eyebrows slowly inching up her hairline. "By 'Zuru' does she happen to mean you, Chizuru-chan?" she asked, aghast. Etsu was a firm believed in no nicknames besides –chan, and Zuru was definitely too much for her to comprehend.

Chizuru winced again, said, "I don't know what you're talking about, Etsu-chan," at the very same second Airi plopped into the seat next to her, an electric grin on her face. "Hey Zuru, what are you doing here? Why don't you come eat lunch with the rest of us?"

"'_The rest of us_?'" Etsu echoed slowly, casting a steely look at Chizuru. "I didn't know you were friends with _those people_."

Triple wince this time. By _those people_ Etsu was addressing the fact that Airi was not in the honors class.

"She means the tennis team. You know, like Akechi-senpai, Hayashi-senpai, Sorano-senpai," Chizuru rattled off the names of her smartest seniors while sending a quick prayer begging for Airi to be quiet.

Unfortunately, that prayer went unheard. Airi suddenly noticed Etsu, stared at her with wide eyes of recognition. "Oh hi there, Hamaguchi-san! Aren't you the one who scored tenth in the rankings?"

_Shit. _Quadruple wince.

Etsu's already skeptical eyes narrowed to judgmental slits, her glasses gleaming. This wasn't a matter of Airi being in the honors class' common room anymore, this was now a matter of her pride. "Excuse me, but I am ranked ninth, not tenth," she spoke slowly, so patronizingly slowly. "And if I am correct, Yoshida-san, you only managed to scrape by in seventy-first place. You could do with a bit of studying, couldn't you?"'

Airi shrugged like Etsu hadn't said something insulting. "Yeah, which is why Zuru and Oshitari-senpai have been helping me," she explained brightly, missing Etsu's scandalized look. "Now come on, Zuru. Munehiro and Hiyoshi-kun are waiting for us!"

"Airi…" Chizuru trailed off, casting a helpless glance at Etsu. The black haired girl pointedly looked away, flicking her hand dismissively. _You're not wanted here anymore, just go_, she conveyed.

Chizuru wanted so badly to cry, but that would only work to make her look pathetic (but she was, wasn't she?). Hyotei simply did not accept weakness, and that was all she was.

**~xXx~**

Kabaji was anything but dense. If anything, he was extra observant. He couldn't exactly read people the way Atobe could, nor could he understand feelings as well as Airi, but he simply knew what people were saying and thinking.

A common thought, for example, was that he was a lifeless sack whose only purpose was to serve Atobe. Admittedly it had been pretty annoying and offensive at first, but then he'd gotten used to it. Kabaji was just not the type of person to speak much, and why bother when he had people like Atobe—who had endless charisma—and Airi—who talked almost too much.

So when he saw Airi dragging a saddened looking Kataoka Chizuru out of the honors students' common room, he knew immediately what had happened. She must have talked too much, as per usual, and poor Chizuru had suffered from it.

"Are you alright, Kataoka-san?" he asked lowly while Airi was busy trying to hold a conversation with Hiyoshi. "I'm sorry for whatever Airi did," he said sincerely.

The girl kept her head down, using the sleeve of her tan blazer to wipe away any welling tears. "I don't think Etsu-chan wants to be my friend anymore," she replied miserably.

Kabaji frowned internally. Hamaguchi Etsu, in his opinion, was far too pretentious for her own good. He never understood why shy and lost Chizuru of all people would be friends with her since middle school, but somehow it had worked. It had worked, at least, until Airi barreled her way into things and broke their companionship.

Solemnly, he reached over and touched her wrist. "If Hamaguchi-san hates you just because you're friends with Airi you shouldn't be friends with her," he pointed out gently.

"But Etsu-chan's my best friend, and I really like Airi-chan too but…I guess she just doesn't fit in with the rest of us." Chizuru was on the brink of tears now, he knew, and for a good reason.

Kabaji hesitated to tell her this, but he knew something about Hamaguchi Etsu that she didn't. He knew that every time the exam scores were posted Chizuru would always be first and Etsu somewhere between sixth and tenth. He knew how she would scowl after congratulating Chizuru, that she was jealous of the auburn haired girl. In fact, he'd even overheard her once complaining to Makino Hideki about how much of a "stuck up overachieving know it all" she was, and that they were not actually friends in her eyes.

If Chizuru thought that Etsu was her best friend though, he didn't want to say any of that. It would only serve to hurt her more, which she did not need at the moment. It was better to take things slowly, he reasoned, and eventually she would have to learn that Etsu did not care for her at all.

Well, put that way it was kind of cruel, but he still did not want to be the one to break it to her.

"You'll be okay, Kataoka-san," he said instead, offering a rare smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle. "Airi never thinks things through, but she only ever has good intentions."

**~xXx~**

"You're eating alone again, Himura-san." Shioya-sensei the math teacher commented more than asked. Class 3-A had math right before lunch, and Shioya had grown accustomed to seeing Himura Shun stay behind and eat lunch in the classroom while all the other students left.

He had also grown quite accustomed to her silence and flippant glares whenever he brought up the fact and had learned not to question her. After all, she was the daughter of Himura Hiroki, who had the power to slip in one bad word and fire him.

Shun watched as he left and slid the door shut, exhaled in annoyance once he was gone. _Can't you see that even if I'm alone I'm fine? Stop acting like you care._

She used to text Takara during this time, but replies were fewer and fewer due to Rikkai's strict rules about practice. Shun bet they practiced before school, during lunch, and for hours after. It seemed so intense, so demanding, so _worthwhile_.

If only could have been there too. No Atobe, no Akechi, no Sakaki, and no father, just Takara. She could live with that.

But then she remembered that it would also mean no Taiki, which was precisely the only reason why she'd stayed. She couldn't—wouldn't—let him be treated the way they had been treated. She couldn't let him leave and never speak to them again.

Hina had promised she'd call and write and email and every other form of communication, but it had been an empty promise. The minute she'd arrived in Australia she hadn't sent so much as a text, and nobody had heard from her since. Junichi had kept his promise for a month before soon enough he had disappeared too. Mariko hadn't even tried.

_Why do you bother with promises when you can't keep them?_

Because Takara had promised her too, hadn't she? She'd promised to stay in Tokyo, she'd _promised_. And that had been yet another empty promise to add to Shun's life, and it had hurt more than any of the others because she'd actually believed her.

She did not want Taiki to leave Tokyo. She would not let him leave, and she would make sure of it. Their father would not be able to stop her.

But either way, she would have to leave Taiki. Because he wasn't even in middle school yet, and she'd be off at college next year, and she didn't know if she could keep a promise either. If Takara of all people couldn't, then how could she?

She squeezed her hand into a fist. _I really miss you, Takara._

**~xXx~**

"You're in a rather foul mood today, Yuuka-chan," Atobe commented, sitting next to her on his purple sofa. "What's on your mind?"

She shot him a lazy glare, laid down so her head was in his lap and curled into a fetal position. "Shut your fucking mouth." She snapped, wrapping her arms around her knees.

Dear lord, she was in a _really _foul mood today. He vaguely considered the possibility of it being the time of the month, but dismissed it quickly. Yuuka was never this disagreeable and annoyed normally, and he _certainly did not know when her time of the month was_.

Oshitari and Erena were conversing at the opposite end of the room, unfazed by Yuuka and Atobe's current position. It was normal, if anything, and they knew it was no more than another one of Yuuka's quirks.

It was kind of endearing, actually, though he knew she wouldn't appreciate it if he were to say so out loud.

"So Hayato—you know, my younger brother that loves you just like everyone else on the goddamned planet—brought home a friend yesterday, and I was fucking shocked out of my mind, Keigo. Guess who his friend is," she finally said, tilting her head to look him in the eyes. Her eden ones were sizzling and flickering like a wildfire.

"Could it have been the prime minister?" He replied sarcastically, earning another glare. "How am I supposed to guess, Yuuka-chan? Just tell me."

She scowled. "Himura Taiki," Yuuka said slowly, stretching out each syllable. "Also known as the brother of a girl who hates me and probably wants to murder me."

"I'm sure Himura doesn't want to murder you, even if she does hate you," Atobe began to correct, only to stop himself. Who the hell was he kidding? Of course Yuuka didn't care. If anything, _she_ would probably be plotting murder on anyone plotting murder on _her_.

"Well," she shrugged, closing her eyes. "He's a good kid, I guess. Doesn't appear to have a stick up his ass like his sister, even if he's kind of quiet."

"Then what's the big problem?"

"The problem is that now Mom wants to invite the Himuras over for dinner."

Atobe had to shudder at that. He'd gone to the Akechis for dinner a few times himself, and while he liked Hayato and her father, Yuuka's mother was a completely different story. Never before had he met a woman so terrifying, not even his own mother. _Yuuka _wasn't even as frightening, and that was saying a lot. "Would you like me to bring the helicopter to your rescue, Yuuka-chan?" He offered half-heartedly. If the Akechis and Himuras were dining together he'd prefer not to go within a fifty meter radius.

Yuuka, the smart little devil she was, could see right through his shit. "Shut your fucking mouth, Keigo," she snapped.

**~xXx~**

Oshitari gazed intently at Erena, blue eyes curious and confused, as well as a bit hurt. "What do you mean, you don't want to go to the wedding? I thought you were excited to see Kenya again," he asked concernedly. Was she feeling okay, or had some family issue come up?

She shook her head, fingering her fringe in an attempt to look away. "I said I'd go if you couldn't find a date, Yuushi," she corrected. "But I think you should at least ask someone instead of having me go with you. Wouldn't that just raise a lot of questions from your family?"

He frowned. Erena did have a point, but he still couldn't understand why she suddenly did not want to go. The way she was talking made it seem as if he lived in family of monkeys (which was true, at least when it came to Kenya).

"Then who do you suggest I ask, Erena?" Oshitari sighed, taking a sip of his drink.

She shrugged. "Just ask anyone in your class, or maybe someone from the tennis team. Hell, you could even ask Mukahi if you're desperate enough."

The last suggestion had him spitting out his drink and hurtling into a coughing fit. Damn, Atobe was going to kill him for getting his antique coffee table covered in iced tea and Oshitari saliva.

But the other suggestions were quite good, actually. He rather liked Tsukiko, found her to be pretty and she would be a nice, safe choice. Shun, however, was a definite no, and he couldn't ever imagine her in a relationship with _anyone_. Yuuka was off limits as well, as Atobe would never agree to it and he highly doubted Atobe would let him take Airi either (plus, that would just be _weird_). And he wasn't going to take Choutarou's girl away from him, either.

So that left Sorano Tsukiko, Shiina Ikue, and Hayashi Anna. Huh, those were interesting choices. Assuming one of them would say yes, of course. Oshitari quickly deduced that Ikue wouldn't though, and he wasn't too sure if Anna would either. But he didn't want to ask Tsukiko without even trying for Anna, so he decided to not rush into things yet.

Erena was awaiting an answer, and she clearly expected him to say Tsukiko. So he decided to surprise her instead. "I think Anna-chan would make quite a good impression on my family," he said out of half sarcasm and half seriousness.

"Hayashi Anna?" she shot him a scandalized look. "Yuushi, I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with her, but doesn't she _hate _you?"

Well, he hadn't exactly thought of that, but did she really hate him? "I'll ask Sorano-chan if Anna-chan says no, but I would like to give it a try," he shrugged.

"And what makes you think Tsukiko will agree no matter what? She's not a head in the clouds romantic like you," Erena scoffed, though there was noticeable relief in her eyes. _I guess she really didn't want to go with me_, Oshitari thought, a bit of pain coursing through his chest.

He pushed down the thoughts though, because there were more serious matters at hand. By the end of the day, he'd have convinced Hayashi Anna to go to Osaka with him, and he had full confidence in it.

**~xXx~**

"No."

As he watched her golden ponytail swish out of sight, all he could think was, _Well that should have been expected…_

**~xXx~**

The only sounds from the courts were heavy breathing, running feet, and the constant string of swears from just about everyone. In preparation for the upcoming Seigaku match, Yuuka had formed a training regimen that was absolutely brutal, doubling conditioning and adding an extra hour to practice. The first hour had consisted entirely of running and stamina drills, in fact, and they had just finished ten two court suicides.

Airi was completely exhausted, barely able to stand. "Akechi-senpai," _huff_ "why are you trying," _huff_ "to kill us?" She spluttered out, face completely red.

Yuuka, who only had a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, examined her nails boredly. "I would never do that, Yoshida. The court order would be too troublesome and taxing," she shrugged.

"Oh come on, I'm sure Atobe-san would bail you out," Ikue commented lightly, sidestepping neatly to avoid Yuuka's lazy attempt at a slap. "Granted, you'd probably be able to smart talk yourself out of trouble."

"Damn right," Yuuka nodded affirmatively. Thinking for a second, she added, "I'd just lay all the blame on Keigo, since he could _buy _his way out of everything."

"Hey!" A voice called, exasperated and annoyed. "Conditioning's over, it's time for practice. You two go practice serves with Kataoka and Fukumitsu," Shun ordered, crossing her arms. Her eyebrows were set at such an angle that it shouted _DANGER_.

Ikue muttered a quick apology and jogged off, but Yuuka, being one who lived for the danger, just raised a brow. "Ordering me around like the vice captain you are, huh, Himura? Did you do that to Hayato, too?"

The dark haired girl scowled deeply. "I couldn't care less about your brother," she replied evenly. "But if you so much as look at Taiki, I will fucking kill you."

"Oh, Taiki-kun's your brother?" Yuuka tilted her head, eyes wide in fake shock. The other girl narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "I never would have guessed, considering he isn't some tight-lipped brat with a stick shoved up his ass."

The look on Shun's face was murderous, topaz eyes burning and scowl deepening until her face looked as twisted as a villain in a horror movie.

Tsukiko, who had witnessed the whole thing, chose the moment to stride over and stand in between them. "That's enough, you two. I won't tolerate this behavior from my team," she said, but to no avail. The two girls remained in a fierce staring contest, not even acknowledging her.

"Fine," Shun finally said. In the blink of an eye, she whipped her hand across Yuuka's face, leaving a bright red mark on her cheek. "I don't care anymore."

The eden eyed girl just stared, eyes unblinking and fierce. She hadn't once moved, unfazed by the slap.

Tsukiko just stared at Shun with an unreadable expression—was that disappointment, anger, disgust, horror? "Go home for the day, Shun-san," she said levelly, voice dangerous low. "And when you come back tomorrow, I expect better behavior from my vice captain."

Shun laughed, the sound maniacal and crazy even to her ears. "You're only kicking me out because you always let personal biases affect your decisions. I expect fairer judgment from my captain as well, so it looks like we've both disappointed each other." _What the hell am I doing what the hell am I doing what the hell am I doing._

Silence had long since fallen over the courts, everyone turned to watch the new staring match. On the boys' side, Atobe was torn between ending this now or letting Tsukiko deal with things herself—she _was _captain of her team, after all. Oshitari looked concerned, and Shishido seemed enraged as well.

Yuuka, meanwhile, still had not moved.

"Then I'm sorry for being such a disappointment, Himura," Tsukiko said, voice scarily pleasant. "Feel free to quit then, since I'm not competent as captain."

Shun said nothing, just dropped her racquet on the ground and marched off. The clatter of the racquet echoed unnaturally loudly.

As everyone slowly went back to doing what they had been doing before, Tsukiko exhaled. She hated being the bad cop, wished she hadn't said what she'd said. "Come on, Yuuka, play a match with me," she said at last, turning to face her best friend.

Yuuka just stared at her, eyes unreadable. "She was right you know, Tsuki," she said quietly.

Her whole body froze, externally and internally. _No no no no no, please don't be saying this Yuuka, please don't be saying this. I don't want you to be mad at me, please don't._

"I don't understand you at all, even if we're supposed to be best friends," Yuuka continued, every word worsening Tsukiko's dread. "Why bother having a friendship with me, when you know it could all mean nothing?"

_Stop saying this, please. _"What do you think, Yuuka?" she choked out a laugh.

The shorter girl studied her for a second and shrugged, turning her back on her. "That you _do_ let your personal biases affect your decisions. You shouldn't have sent Himura home, and to make things fair I should just leave as well."

She couldn't do anything as she watched Yuuka leave, could only clamp a hand over her mouth and muffle a scream. _No no no no no no no…_

Because even if Yuuka didn't understand her, that didn't mean she didn't understand Yuuka.

**~xXx~**

It all happened on a Tuesday. Five more days until they would be up against Seigaku.

Only five girls showed up on Wednesday, the remnants of a team. Four more days until they played Seigaku.

Four days to heal broken wounds, four days that could open new ones.

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N: **If any of y'all have watched _Free!_ yes I did base Daisuke and Hotaka off of Makoto and Haruka. I have been in love with their friendship (cough cough marriage cough cough) since the first time Haru took Makoto's hand, okay, and I refuse to let them go even though the series is over now that the third years have graduated. BUT MAKOHARU WILL FOREVER AND ALWAYS BE MY OTP AND THE ENDING ONLY SUPPORTED THAT!

Over the past few weeks, when we weren't working on getting the memorial set up I was still writing a little but only the beginnings to a few one-shots. My favorite ones will be posted soon, and probably some others for different fandoms too. Also, are you excited to meet the Seigaku girls soon?

Thank you all so much for the support and kind words! It's been a really tough few weeks and you're all so nice! :)

_**Some Things on Yoshida Airi**_

_She secretly hated London. For some reason she just never managed to connect with anybody but Atobe and Kabaji over there, and when they left those were the loneliest four years of her life. She even threw a party for herself when she found out she was moving, complete with cake and streamers and party hats (obviously no one came though)._

_Her and Kabaji have quite the illustrious history of messing with Atobe. Their best moment was when they recorded a video of messing with him while he was asleep. During those fifteen minutes they managed to make him look like a vampire, shave his eyebrows, and draw on his face. Atobe claims to have no recollection._

_She's smart, just restless and can't focus on anything without getting distracted. Kabaji believes she has undiagnosed ADHD and ADD. Atobe seconds that, Oshitari thirds, and Chizuru fourths. Airi herself has completely accepted that it's probably true._

_A particularly mean boy in London used to call her "Airheaded Airy Airi." He woke up on the playground with a bloody nose one afternoon_

-Cara


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or Lilting Glamour's characters.

**A/N: **Guys, if you've followed or favorited this story but haven't reviewed please do! I appreciate all types of feedback, and I want to know what people like so I can work with that more and try to experiment in different areas.

* * *

**~xXx~**

"_I've fallen from grace_

_Took a blow to my face_

_I've loved and I've lost_

_I've loved and I've lost"_

_-_Ellie Goulding, _Explosions_

**~xXx~**

* * *

"This is just ridiculous," Erena groaned, fisting her black and green hair. "How the hell are we supposed to beat Seigaku if we're missing three of our best players?"

Tsukiko, Yuuka, and Shun still hadn't shown up by Thursday. With only three days left before the big match, things were not looking good. Erena, who was the closest to an authoritative figure left, had grudgingly allowed herself to take charge.

Oshitari awkwardly patted her on the back, quickly shooting a glance towards the door. They were in the girls changing room, and the rest of the team would be here any second. He did not want to get caught, even if he was helping a dear friend. It was one thing to be rumored as a pervert, and then there was being a pervert.

"Have you tried talking to Sorano-san or Akechi-san?" he asked, wondering how they could have said no to her. Erena wasn't charming or sly, but when she wanted you to do something you damn well ended up doing it.

She shook her head guiltily, hanging it down so he couldn't see her face. "I've thought about it, but I haven't actually done it yet," she admitted wearily.

Oshitari raised a brow, confused yet also stern. "They're your best friends, Erena."

"No, they're my best _girl _friends. You're my best friend, Yuushi," she said quietly, finally looking up. Strangely though, he was now the one who couldn't look at her, examining the floor tiles ever so curiously.

According to the general population, Oshitari's best friend was Atobe, which he laughed at the mere thought of. Atobe was clearly closest with Kabaji, and Airi could probably count as a second best friend. Oshitari suspected he was the third Atobe went to, which he was perfectly fine with.

On the boys' team, he was closest to Mukahi, who was still much closer with Shishido and Jirou, his childhood friends. Oshitari was very close with Erena, but he couldn't call her his best friend, more like first confidante. He _guessed _his best friend was Kenya, though by now the bastard was probably closest with his pretty boy of a captain

_Speaking _of Kenya, actually…He coughed, shifted his weight from foot to foot. "Then why can't you go to Osaka with me?" There it was. The question he hadn't yet dared to ask finally laid bare.

Erena stared at him, full of disbelief and sorrow. "Yuushi…I just don't think it would be right," she shrugged, cracking a tired smile. "Weren't you so interested in asking out Hayashi? What happened to that?"

"Flat out rejection," he spat sarcastically, glowering through his glasses. "I would have told you earlier, had we not all been so bent out of shape over the loss of three of your best players. And speaking of which, why have you not spoken to Sorano or Akechi yet?"

She glared. "Maybe I just don't _want _to because I know they won't listen!" she snapped.

He hated to admit it, but Erena was probably right. Yuuka was as stubborn as she was smart, and Tsukiko was completely bent out of shape. Odds of convincing either of them were low.

Too wrapped up in his thoughts, Oshitari didn't realize the door to the changing room opening. A first year girl squealed, staring at him with wide eyes before quickly dashing out.

That, he took, was his cue to leave.

_One day I need to invest in painkillers._

**~xXx~**

On Friday, there were still only five girls. Erena's patience was wearing thin, and the rest of the team was trying to stay positive.

"If we weren't in such a bad situation this would have been funny," Ikue sighed, leaning against the fence for support.

Chizuru nodded in agreement. "Do you really think Himura-fukubuchou was serious about quitting? She wouldn't, would she?" she asked worriedly.

Anna shrugged. "I've known Himura for six years and I've never seen her joke around." The blonde girl was braiding her ponytail behind her head, fingers slipping through flashes of gold.

Ikue chose not to mention how Shun _had _once quit. But that was a story for another time.

Not only was there tension among the regulars, but more among the sub regulars. They knew that five people were not enough for a lineup, meaning two of them would have to step in if Tsukiko, Yuuka, or Shun didn't come back. If anything, they were _excited _and hoping none of them came back, all wanting to play in the Seigaku match and perhaps more.

Ikue was disgusted by it.

"Has Erena-senpai made up her mind?" Chizuru wondered nervously, wringing her hands. "We don't have much time left."

Anna cast her a fond glance, ruffled her hair. "Have a little faith in your seniors."

That, Ikue thought wryly, was as ambiguous and vague as Anna was good looking. Who exactly did she mean by having faith in, and what faith? Erena? Or the three that had yet to show up. Or even her and Anna?

On the far court, Erena and Airi were engaged in an uneven match. As stressed and impatient as she was, Erena was still winning handily. Airi, however, had gotten better since the last time they'd played, and her drive volleys were more powerful. Kabaji was observing, every now and then giving Airi a smile that was so genuine and rare Ikue wanted to smile herself.

She wondered vaguely what it would be like to have a childhood friend. How things could have been so much easier if she'd ever had one.

**~xXx~**

"Yuuka?" her mother rapped smartly on the bedroom door. "Someone is here to see you."

Yuuka grimaced, rolling her eyes. "I don't fucking care," she muttered, covering her eyes with her arm. "Tell Tsuki I'm not going to apologize."

She heard an annoyed huff, which could only mean her mother was crossing her arms and glaring. "It's not her, it's Atobe-kun. Now I suggest you come out right now and talk to him."

Yuuka rolled her eyes again. _Not to Tsuki, not even to you Keigo._ "I'm still not going to apologize."

**~xXx~**

Anna wasn't too sure what she was doing here, standing in front of apartment number 416. Ikue had errands to run, saying she wouldn't be back until eleven. For some reason that had spurred Anna to come here, though she was beginning to regret her choices.

The door swung open before she even knocked, almost hitting her in the face. Shocked, she jumped back, tripping over her own feet.

A pair of green eyes widened, their owner taking a step back. "Hayashi-san? What are you doing here?" Daisuke asked curiously, offering a hand to help her up.

Embarrassed, Anna tried very hard not to notice how firm and warm the tall man's hand was. "I think I left my phone charger here," she lied.

"Oh?" Daisuke raised a brow, catching the pathetic lie. "I'm stepping out right now, but Hotaka's here so you can talk to him for a little."

Her stomach dropped. She liked Hotaka, but would much rather prefer to talk to Daisuke. He was so much more approachable and easier to talk to. _This is going to be harder than I thought_.

"Daisuke," a voice said, coming from behind the black haired man. Hotaka was tugging on his partner's sleeve, blue eyes as majestic as the ocean and soaring as the sky.

"Hmm?" Daisuke murmured, turning to meet his eyes. Wordlessly, they stared at each other until the taller man smiled warmly, patting his jacket pocket. "I didn't forget it this time." He pressed a kiss to the side of his temple, so gentle and intimate Hotaka closed his eyes and exhaled softly.

Suddenly feeling very intrusive, Anna shifted her gaze to the floor. This was what love was, she thought, and she had once seen something similar to this in her parents too. _And then I had to ruin everything_.

"Be back in a few hours," Daisuke said, squeezing Hotaka's hand gently. "I'll probably wait to pick up Ikue, actually, so don't stay up too late."

Hotaka just nodded, eyes never leaving his partner's retreating figure. _Adorable, _Anna thought with a smile. _They're so adorable._

**~xXx~**

The world was vast and stars numberless, glittering beacons up higher than the sky. Dreamers were able to reach up and touch them for a single fleeting moment before they made their descent back down, back to the earth where their chains lay, so close yet so far to freedom.

_Bullshit_, she thought, purposefully smudging her charcoal.

The lights suddenly flickered on. "You're still here, Akamine-san?" a smooth and soft voice questioned, followed by a blue haired boy leaning against the door. "Practice ended an hour ago."

Her mouth twisted into a fierce smile, amber eyes flaring like a lioness. "Then what are you doing here, Yukimura?"

Yukimura Seiichi, for all his self-righteousness and power, only ever bent from one person. And she had graduated last year, leaving a lasting impact on him. Hana knew that much and still more.

"Ikeda and I were having a meeting, nothing more," he said simply, eyeing the sketchbook in front of her. "What were you drawing this time?"

Hana smirked, sliding it over to him. "See for yourself."

**~xXx~**

Of all the people to come banging on her door, Shishido Ryou was among the last. Hell, even Federer would have been less shocking, but apparently the world just liked throwing everything in her face.

If she'd known that her gruff, hardworking classmate was going to be here, she'd at least put more of an effort in her appearance. Her hair was tangled at the ends, and she was only wearing a tank top and shorts. Talk about mortifying.

Luckily, Shishido didn't seem to care or notice, as he, in typical Shishido-esque manner, avoided all bullshit and went straight to the point. "Get your act together, Sorano," he ordered, half glaring and half sympathetic. "Your team is falling apart, and they don't stand a chance against Seigaku without you."

She raised a brow. They were neighbors, had always lived in houses right next to each other since childhood. Their parents were good friends and they'd been over for dinner many a time, but Tsukiko had never gotten to know Shishido on a more personal basis. _Probably because I spent all my childhood tending to someone that doesn't even care._

"Ican't go back," she shook her head desperately. "There's no way I can play doubles without Yuuka." She couldn't remember the last time she'd played singles in an official match, only that it had always been doubles with Yuuka, _always_.

He huffed exasperatedly. "So don't play doubles then," he pointed out as if it were clear as day. "You still have a high chance of winning in singles."

"It's not that simple, Shishido-kun!" Tsukiko cried out, striding over to her bedside table. She picked up a framed picture, threw it at him. "I've known Yuuka for fifteen years, _fifteen freaking years_, and apparently it means nothing to her! I've always listened to her, took care of her, protected her, and all I get in return is her wanting to end our friendship like that!"

She was screaming now, tears welling up in her eyes. Shishido doubted she'd ever screamed at someone before, and it wasn't a good feeling to be the first. He looked at the picture in his hands, one of Tsukiko and Yuuka and Erena all together.

_That's it_. "Then what about Fukumitsu? How do you think she's feeling?" he pointed out. Tsukiko's head snapped up like a taut bowstring. "You know how she feels about leadership roles, yet you're too caught up with Akechi to help her. What kind of a best friend are you?"

Tsukiko glared, mouth set defiantly like a child's. "Erena's the strongest person I know, I'm sure she's fine."

"She's not, though. She spends every day waiting for you and Akechi and Himura to come back, and when you don't she gets upset. How do you think she fucking feels when two of her closest friends have left her like that?" Shishido demanded, jabbing a finger at the picture. "Fukumitsu's a part of this too, isn't she? She's in this picture too, so maybe you're the one who doesn't care about your friends!"

Her face crumpled, mouth quivering from tears that would soon fall. But they didn't. Almost as if she could swallow them, her eyes were no longer watery and instead angry, flashes of blue-black that were ready to kill. "Shishido-kun, get the hell out of my house, _now_."

Too shocked to argue, too fed up to talk, he did just that.

**~xXx~**

Hotaka was not stupid.

While most people mistook his silent demeanor for idiocy, some realized that he was actually pretty damn smart. He just wasn't a people person, preferred quiet nights alone instead of out with friends.

Of course, _alone_ meant with Daisuke. Because they were two halves to the same whole, always an irreplaceable part of each other.

Speaking of Daisuke, Hotaka really wished he were here right now. Not only was he not a people person, he also had no idea how to talk to other people, especially not tough spirited and closed off golden haired girls that were friends with his adoptive daughter.

They were sitting across from each other at the table, awkward and so terribly uncomfortable. Hotaka wasn't one to initiate conversation—or really listen to it, for that matter—so he was waiting for Hayashi Anna to get straight to the point.

At last, she cleared her throat, awkwardly not meeting his eyes. "So…Ikue never mentioned her family before I met you two…"

Hotaka frowned. _Is this kid serious? I'm getting _that _talk?_

"I can imagine why," he replied dryly, glaring down at his cup of tea. "We weren't exactly asking for your approval, though."

Hayashi shook her head hastily. "I don't have anything against it!" She protested quickly. "I was just pretty surprised, you know. Actually, when it comes to Shiina I don't really know what to think, so I get surprised at everything she does."

"Oh really." This was all old news to him.

"Yeah…but if you don't mind me asking, can you tell me about you and Okamura-san?"

He snapped his head up, glaring. _What the hell? _

Quickly, she corrected herself. "It's just that my own parents are divorced, and I was kind of curious to know more about Shiina. She doesn't really tell me anything, and it kind of got me wondering."

Hotaka frowned. _Oh whatever_. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

Daisuke and Ikue wouldn't be home for quite a while, so he might as well find a way to pass the time.

**~xXx~**

_Suzuki Takara: Hey. You're playing Seigaku on Sunday right?_

_Himura Shun: Not me._

_Suzuki Takara: Wait what?!_

_Himura Shun: I am so fucking done with tennis._

_Suzuki Takara: Okay, first of all tell me what happened._

_Himura Shun: Akechi snapped, Sorano snapped, I snapped. Nothing else._

_Suzuki Takara: Sorano Tsukiko, the Hyotei captain famous for her sweetness and pretty voice, snapped? Yeah right._

_Himura Shun: …you wanted the story and there it is. Take it or leave it._

_Suzuki Takara: Sheesh, calm down. Anyway, I think you're the only one who snapped._

_Himura Shun: What the hell are you implying?_

_Suzuki Takara: That you've got a bigger temper than the rest of them—even that Akechi Yuuka. Also, you need to pull your head out of your ass._

_Himura Shun: Haven't I been told that enough._

_Suzuki Takara: Whatever, Shun. But have you ever considered letting loose a little and not being so tightly wound all the time?_

_Himura Shun: I have no idea what you're talking about._

_Suzuki Takara: Do I have to spell this out for you? Just fucking face the fact that you don't want to quit and you're just butthurt about something stupid._

_Himura Shun: …_

_Himura Shun: You're just like everyone else, and I can't believe I thought you were different._

**~xXx~**

"Oh," Yukimura stuck his head back in. "Suzuki-chan mentioned you took something of hers earlier that she needs back?"

Hana just smiled as she took a phone out of her pocket.

**~xXx~**

Strangely, Anna found herself enjoying talking to Hotaka. While taciturn and reserved at first, he slowly began to open up and tell her details about his life with Daisuke, how they'd been best friends their whole lives and couldn't even remember how they'd met because they'd always been in each other's lives. Everyone back in their small town called them a married couple, not out of spite or mockery but because they all knew before Daisuke and Hotaka did themselves.

"When did Shiina come along?" Anna asked, glancing at the wall. There were many framed pictures hanging there, some individual but most of them featuring all three. She didn't think she'd ever seen Ikue smile like that before, like she could give you promises from the sun if you smiled back. "Did one of you have her, or was she adopted?"

Hotaka frowned, and suddenly she realized just how personal that question was. Ducking her head in shame, she hastily apologized. "I'm sorry, Koike-san, that just slipped out. I didn't mean to be so rude."

He shrugged, frown gone to her relief. His blonde hair fell into his eyes a little, and for some reason it made her think he was trying to hide from the world when he did that. _You shouldn't hide, Koike-san. You've got two people that love you more than anything_.

"We were good friends with Ikue's mom, and she got pregnant senior year," Hotaka said without meeting her eyes. "Her parents made her move out to a relative's place, but Daisuke still kept in contact."

"The university we chose was pretty close to where she lived, so we'd go and visit her sometimes. Then one day, when we were almost done with college, she asked if we could take care of her daughter for her because she couldn't anymore. Ikue was five by then. Daisuke, being himself, of course agreed, and I didn't object to it either. We only saw her a couple times after that, and then she changed her phone number and moved somewhere without telling us."

Now it was Anna's turn to frown. Something about this story rang true to her own family, and suddenly she didn't want to hear the rest of it.

Hotaka spoke impassively, yet she thought that if his hair weren't blocking them his eyes would be pained. "Maybe that would have been okay, but Ikue was only five and even though she was used to us she wanted her mom. It was hard for her for the first few years, but eventually she settled down. She hasn't asked about her mom ever since."

"Is that where her surname's from? Her mom?" she couldn't help but ask.

He nodded. "Shiina Mayu."

**~xXx~**

"So you _still _don't have a date?"

Yuushi ground his teeth. He could hear the smirk in his bastard of a cousin's voice. "I said, I haven't asked all my options yet," he muttered through gritted teeth.

Kenya laughed on the other line, howling laughter that probably included his head being thrown back and hand on his stomach. "So much for being a ladies' man," he snorted. "Even Shouta's got a date, but you still don't!"

Very carefully counting to ten, Yuushi exhaled. "And how exactly did Chiho-nee react when she found out you were bringing your friends to her wedding?"

"She didn't mind, actually," Kenya mused. "And it's just Shiraishi and Zaizen and their dates, which by the way you still need."

"Shut up."

Kenya laughed again, then paused thoughtfully. "You know, I could always ask Nakagawa-chan if she'd be willing to go with you."

"Who?" Yuushi wasn't too fond of the idea of going to his cousin's wedding with his other cousin's girlfriend's teammate, but this might just have to do.

"Nakagawa Seika-chan, she's the captain of the girls' team. Kind of short, but she's pretty. Think you'll give her a try?"

Suddenly, Yuushi had another call on the line. "Sorry Kenya, give me a second," he apologized, blinking in surprise at the new name on the screen. _Why would she be calling me?_

"Hello?"

"Hey, Oshitari. Listen, I think we can make a deal."

**~xXx~**

Sometimes, life was just too hard.

She found herself here a lot, sitting on the grassy hill next to a highway. This was the only place in Tokyo where the stars seemed real enough to her, like she could reach out and feel it kiss her palm if she tried. But she didn't.

Hugging her knees to her chest, she wished she'd brought a sweater. The tan blazer was stylish and comfortable, but it didn't do well to preserve heat. And early spring nights were still so cold.

Or maybe they weren't that cold. Maybe she just too frozen to feel the warmth.

She heard a car coming to stop just off the highway, heard the door open and footsteps walk their way over. "I figured you'd be here," he sighed, except she knew he was smiling that smile that could thaw her just a little. "Come on, let's go home. It's too cold for you to be out this late."

He offered her a hand, which she gladly took. "Thanks, Daisuke."

"Mm."

As she sat in the passenger seat on the way home, she couldn't help but notice how the stars didn't seem so real anymore. _Everything fades away with time. And so will I._

**~xXx~**

Saturday practices were two hours longer than normal practice, which Erena sometimes couldn't stand. Some days she just wanted to stroll around the streets of Tokyo somewhere and take pictures, or just go home and sleep.

Today was one of those days then, she thought wryly.

"Erena?"

That voice. She knew that voice so well after years of being friends. _Has she really…?_

She looked up. Eden eyes met hers, and someone she'd always been taller than but had never thought of as small suddenly seemed so tiny, like she was trying to shrink back and hide. Erena didn't think she liked this version of her, but for now that didn't matter. _She's actually come back._

Without a word, she reached over and hugged Yuuka to her, eyes brimming with tears of relief.

And she might have heard Yuuka cry too, but maybe it was just her.

* * *

**~xXx~**

**End**

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N: **Well this chapter was just all over the place…yeah, I don't really know what to say.

Sorry if that was kind of a handful. The last part doesn't really make sense, but there's a reason why Yuuka came back first and not Tsukiko or Shun.

Anyway, all reviews/feedback are appreciated! I put off introducing the Seigaku girls yet again (ugh, I'm such an idiot), but I swear they will appear next chapter!

Love, Cara


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or Lilting Glamour's OCs.

**A/N: **Okay, so I'd love to give a shout out to **the girl from back then**, who has so nicely reviewed almost every chapter of this story and oh my god she's such a good writer go look at her story "Falling Up" NOW. I mean it. Don't even read this chapter, just go to hers first, because she has the most beautiful metaphors and characters, okay? Go! And once you're done, feel free to read this new chapter :)

* * *

**~xXx~**

"_Even the best fall down sometimes_

_Even the stars refuse to shine_

_Out of the back you fall in time_

_I somehow find_

_You and I collide."_

—Howie Day, _Collide_

**~xXx~**

* * *

"What the hell is that, Yoshida? Fix that god awful continental grip before going for a smash, and maybe you'll get the next one in!"

"Seriously Hayashi, is that supposed to be a backhand? Use one hand if you want, but you have to use your extended reach to your advantage!"

"Again, Erena! Your footwork was too sloppy!"

"Ten suicides, now!"

"Well," Chizuru panted after finishing the suicides. She was one of the better farers, her track skills giving her an advantage even if it was off-season. "Akechi-senpai's really back, isn't she?"

Ikue swore a decent length of profanities, wayward golden-brown hair sticking to her face. "For better or worse though, that's the real question," she muttered through her teeth. Still, she knew it was only positive news that Yuuka had come back. Their chance of beating Seigaku depended on it.

Chizuru looked around nervously. "Shiina-senpai, what do you think Erena-senpai and Akechi-senpai are going to do with the lineup?"

"I don't know." If she had to guess though, Erena would probably be Singles 1, Yuuka 2, Airi 3, and some weird combination for doubles. That would be the most strategic approach, but she didn't know how effective it would be against a team like Seigaku, who was definitely not weak. Who knew what Yuuka the tactician was going to do.

The mastermind herself was eyeing the team—or what was left of it—critically, like she was analyzing them on the spot. Finally she nodded. "That's enough for today."

"Oh thank _god_," Airi breathed out in relief. Out of all of them, she was in the most desperate need for stamina improvement and had considered asking to sit down several times during training.

Yuuka caught her by her jersey collar. "Not you, Yoshida. You need some special training before I'm letting you leave."

"What?!"

**~xXx~**

_Hayashi Anna: Meet me at the park in half an hour?_

_Oshitari Yuushi: For what?_

_Hayashi Anna: To discuss the deal I mentioned last night._

_Oshitari Yuushi: I get the feeling that I'm about to regret my life choices._

_Hayashi Anna: But you'll never know for sure, will you, unless you go?_

_Oshitari Yuushi: Fair enough._

**~xXx~**

"So," Yuuka said as she stirred her black coffee. "What's the lineup for tomorrow?"

Across from her, Erena looked away. "I haven't decided."

Yuuka paused, raised a brow as she gave her a strange look. "You were waiting for us," she stated, all knowing because Yuuka always knew more than you did. "You didn't want to form an official lineup because you were waiting for the three of us to come back."

"And I'm still waiting for Tsukiko and Himura, except I don't think they'll come back," the taller girl replied, staring down at her mug of tea.

Yuuka's green eyes flashed, though whether it was out of sympathy or something else Erena did not know. "Tsuki _will _come back," she said quietly. "She's our captain, she _needs _to come back."

"Yeah." Honestly, she was surprised Tsukiko hadn't already come back. Wherever Yuuka went Tsukiko carefully followed, making sure the mastermind didn't get in trouble or cause any. That was the way it had always been, ever since kindergarten.

But Erena didn't know if that was the way things were now.

"Yuuka…I think you might have to play singles," she said quietly, carefully watching her friend's facial expressions. "I don't think Himura's going to come back in time, and Tsukiko might not either…" _And even if she does I don't know if she'll want to play doubles with you_.

The eden eyed girl just slouched back in her chair, nodded dejectedly. "I understand."

They sat there for a while longer, no words spoken but thoughts far too loud.

**~xXx~**

"You're crazy," Oshitari said in disbelief. "What on earth are you trying to do?"

Anna sighed, tried again. "I'm just trying to help Shiina! What's so hard to understand?"

"What's so hard to understand is that you want me to do something illegal and it might be a fruitless search!"

"Do you _want _a date or not?"

_Damn. _That girl was right.

He ran a hand through his hair, took his glasses off to rub at his eyes. "Listen, Anna-chan…why does this mean so much to you? You haven't even been friends with Shiina Ikue for that long."

"It means a lot," she said evenly, voice growing stronger with each word. "Because I don't think Shiina's happy, and she should be because she has a great family."

"And what if you end up breaking apart her family?"

Clearly she hadn't thought of that, because she recoiled slightly, hazel eyes showing worry. Then she shook her head and forged on. "Then we'll just have to hope that it doesn't."

He didn't like how she said _we_, like they were partners in crime, accomplices about to do something illegal. Which they technically were, but he chose not to dwell on that.

But he did need a date, or else he'd have to suffer through Kenya's teasing for all eternity. And all they had to do was not get caught, it shouldn't be that hard (lie).

"Alright then. You're coming with me to a wedding, and I'm going to risk my future to help you do something crazy. We've got a deal." _I am definitely going to regret this._

**~xXx~**

The projector turned on with aclick. Inui surveyed the sight before him, his eight male teammates and seven girls. "Which team shall we begin with? Hyotei boys or girls?" he asked neutrally, flipping through the pages of his databook.

Momoshiro, always the first to speak up, shrugged. "Boys, I guess, since we could probably go through them quicker."

"Alright," Inui nodded, placing his databook on the projector. An image of the whole boys' team appeared with their data scribbled underneath. "Through my predictions, there is an eight-four percent chance of Hiyoshi and Ootori playing Doubles 2, Mukahi and Kabaji in 1, Shishido in Singles 3, Oshitari in 2, and Atobe in 1. Any objections?" There were none, so he continued. "That's why our lineup shall be Momoshiro-Kaidoh and Kikumaru-Oishi in doubles, then Fuji, Echizen, and Tezuka for singles. Any objections?" Once again, there were none.

Inui nodded in satisfaction, taking a small stack of pictures out. The girls all leaned forward in anticipation, eager for information about their upcoming opponents. Akiyoshi Hazuki, their captain, was the only one that looked calm and composed, a perfect poker face hiding all emotion. Unlike the boys' team, most of the Hyotei girls were different from the middle school team.

He placed the first picture on the projector. A girl with red hair was in the middle of serving, jumping up as her racquet made contact with the ball. "Sorano Tsukiko, captain. Right handed all rounder, with a vicious forehand. High stamina too, so don't get caught trying to drain her out and end up being the tired one."

Inui changed pictures, replacing Sorano's with one of a dark haired girl. Her mouth was in a neutral line though her yellow-brown eyes were impatient as she stood at the baseline. "Vice captain Himura Shun is a force to be reckoned with. A right-handed counterpuncher, but she has also been known to take the attack. Very fast, but her stamina is average. You'll need a good plan, but as long as you're careful you could beat her."

Matsumoto Tsubaki, a stocky girl with pale hair and paler eyes spoke up. "Why aren't you telling us where they'll be in the lineup?" she pointed out confusedly.

He just smiled. "There have been reports that the team is having some…trouble. With the ninety-five percent chance of the rumors being true, it would be best to be well informed on everyone."

"Now," he continued, switching the picture. "Let's move on to Hayashi Anna, third year. A left-handed aggressive baseliner, she doesn't hesitate to go for the kill. If you gain an early lead on her, do not let your guard down. She has been known for her ability to pull herself out of bad situations."

"So what's her weakness then?" Tsubaki interrupted, always the impatient one.

"Ah," he nodded, tapping on the picture. The golden haired girl was at the net, about to hit a volley. "She has a tendency to hit swinging volleys, and there is a twenty percent chance of her hitting them out. Lure her up to net, but never give her the chance to hit an overhead."

Hayashi's picture was swapped with one of a short girl with pale brown hair and dark eyes, a wide smile on her face as she hit a forehand. "Their new second year transfer, Yoshida Airi, has the opposite problem. She is a right-handed serve and volleyer from London. Her specialty is her drive volleys, and they _always _go in. Has a solid forehand too, though she has a considerably weaker backhand."

Sole second year Otaka Ami raised her hand in hesitation, uncertainty written all over her round face. "Um, excuse me Inui-senpai, but how accurate is this data? You've only been able to gather data from three matches," she pointed out.

Hazuki, the devil she was, smirked as Inui's brow twitched. "Yes, Inui, just how sure are you about this data?" The boys' side snickered, even Echizen smirking as he lowered his cap over his face. Tezuka shot them a reprimanding glare.

"Sixty-one point four percent," he admitted sheepishly. Clearing his throat, he added, "But since this is a very strong team you're up against, I thought the lower percentage could be pardoned."

"Whatever," Mayuzumi Ayuka, the girls' vice captain interrupted gently, flashing a sweet smile. "Partially accurate data is better than no data at all, so just let Inui-san continue."

He shot her a grateful look as he pulled up the next picture. A girl with golden-brown hair stood very close to the camera, close enough that they could see the color of her violet eyes. She had her arm extended for a smash, gaze completely focused. "Shiina Ikue, third year. Right-handed counterpuncher, she rarely comes up to the net unless it's because of a drop shot. Utilizes quite a lot of spin and slice however, and diffuses powerful shots with relative ease. She'll most likely be in doubles, though singles is a high possibility as well."

"Kataoka Chizuru is their other second year." Kataoka had auburn hair and tired rose colored eyes, caught midstride on the service line. "Like Himura, she's fast. Her play is quite ordinary, with no noticeable weaknesses and no noticeable strengths. However, she is still solid in all the basics and is very patient."

Inui paused after taking Kataoka's picture off, glancing down at the last two pictures. He placed one of somebody that everyone recognized, with her purple and pink hair and trademark smirk and gleaming eyes. They had all seen her before, in the headlines with Atobe Keigo. "Akechi Yuuka, third year. She is a left-handed all rounder with no noticeable weaknesses. Incredibly smart, she outfoxes her cleverest opponents by miles. The only way to beat this girl is to be _better_, to have a better forehand and backhand and volleys and everything else. Her smash is vicious, so never bring her up to net."

Hazuki in the back grimaced slightly.

Finally, he showed the last picture of a very tall girl with pixie cut black hair and a green streaked fringe. "And we end with Fukumitsu Erena, Hyotei's top female seed. She has been undefeated ever since she took the Singles 1 slot back in middle school, and she does this all with one arm," he pointed to the brace on her left arm, black and standing out from her delicate looking frame.

"Unfortunately, we have no idea what their lineup is going to be. Sorano and Akechi are usually Doubles 1, but the rumors say that Sorano has not come to practice for days. Himura is Singles 2, but she hasn't been showing up either. The only position we know for sure is Fukumitsu Erena in Singles 1, but besides that we can only guess."

Hazuki's doubles partner, Furuya Risae, a blonde third year with brown eyes the color of teakwood turned to her. "What do you think, Zuki-chan?" she asked.

Hazuki tapped a finger on her chin, deep in thought. "They're going to put Shiina or Hayashi in Doubles 2 with a sub regular, and the two second years will be 1. Then Akechi's playing Singles 2, and the one that doesn't play Doubles 2 will be Singles 3," she decided. "Assuming, of course, that Sorano and Himura don't show up," she added with a shrug that suggested she doubted they would.

Inui nodded in agreement. "That sounds like a reasonable lineup, though Hyotei has always given us some of the biggest surprises."

"We'll be keeping our standard lineup though," Hazuki continued, standing up and looking at her team. "Worst comes to worst Ayuka will have to go against Fukumitsu, but winning doubles should be easy. Yoshida and Kataoka were a mess in districts, and having a sub regular play is risky. It's just a matter of which singles match we can take after that."

**~xXx~**

Atobe only allowed a select few to be in his room. Those few included his parents, the maid, and of course, Kabaji and Airi.

The three of them were in there now, watching some new blockbuster action movie. None of them had bothered checking the reviews, but they didn't need to. The movie was terrible, with C at best actors and a ridiculously cheesy plotline. They watched anyway, too lazy to switch now.

Airi sat on the floor, hugging a pillow to her chest as she leaned against Kabaji. She was starting to doze off, and he could hardly blame her. Kabaji himself couldn't remember what was going on, which meant the easily bored Airi definitely couldn't.

Atobe had abandoned watching halfway through, picking up a German book and reading it while only listening to the movie. Kabaji really didn't understand how he did that, but he didn't ask either.

When it was finally over—ending with a cheesy kiss from the protagonist and his lover—, Atobe glanced over at them. "Would either of you like some food?" he asked, getting up and stretching out his back.

At the mere mention of food, Airi jolted upright, staring at him with pleading eyes. How she could make black eyes look so innocent, nobody would ever understand.

Atobe sighed out of half-exasperation and half-amusement as he ruffled her hair. "I'll go tell the cooks," he said, exiting the room.

After he had gone, Kabaji turned to Airi. "Have you spoken to Kataoka-san recently?" He asked quietly, thinking back to how Chizuru had been close to tears when Airi had embarrassed her in front of Hamaguchi Etsu.

She looked up in confusion. "What do you mean? Of course I talk to Zuru every day," she replied, tilting her head.

"But has she seemed upset since…Tuesday?" _Since you quite possibly lowered her reputation by embarrassing her like that._

"No?" Airi was still confused, clearly not getting his point. "Why would she be upset?"

He was about to respond, but then he remembered Chizuru's sad eyes and trembling hands and decided not to. If she really wanted to be friends with Airi, they'd have to work this out by themselves, without Kabaji meddling. "Nothing," he said instead, giving her a small, reassuring smile. "Maybe she was just tired."

**~xXx~**

"I'm heading out," Anna called, dressed in her blue-gray and white tennis uniform. Excited and quite a bit nervous, she was ready to face Seigaku.

Right as she was about to open the door, however, her father appeared. Hayashi Masato, in his forty-second year but could pass for thirty-five, stopped her. "Anna," he called. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

She glanced at the clock. There was more than enough time for her to get to the courts, damn it. She really did not want to talk to him right now. "What?"

He ran a hand through his hair—the same golden shade as hers. "I know you haven't really talked to her much, but I just wanted you to know that I'm thinking about proposing to Yuzuki." Masato waited expectantly, carefully gauging her reaction.

"So what?" Anna snapped, turning her back to him. "Why should I care?"

The door slammed behind her, and she didn't look back once. Didn't care very much, either.

At least, that's what she tried telling herself.

**~xXx~**

She tried to mask how badly her hands were shaking, but she knew it didn't work. The paper in her hand was not enough to hide it, and everybody could see but no one chose to comment.

Erena glanced at the clock nervously. _Ten minutes before registration closes. Come on Tsuki, come on Himura, hurry up._

"Fukumitsu," a voice said, not Oshitari and not one of the girls. She looked over to see Atobe, still holding his own registration form. His brow was furrowed in worry, or was that confusion? "Have you seen Shishido?"

_Shishido? _"No, I haven't," she shook her head. "It's not like him to be late though."

Atobe ran a hand through his brown hair, a frown on his face. "Are you still waiting on Sorano and Himura?" Was that concern in his tone? She couldn't tell, couldn't read him nearly as well as Yuuka could.

Speaking of Yuuka, actually, Erena didn't know how she would react if Tsukiko didn't show up. While she excelled at singles perhaps more than she did at doubles, Yuuka hadn't played singles in an official match since middle school, and she might have to today.

"Atobe-san…were you the one that convinced Yuuka to come back?"

His blue eyes narrowed slightly in an expression she couldn't define or read. "She wouldn't once let me talk to her," he shook his head, voice bitter. "I went to her house several times but she refused to see me. So it definitely wasn't me."

Atobe studied the paper he was holding. It occurred to Erena that although he looked slightly worn down and was shorter than her, he was still superior and powerful, radiating confidence and self-righteousness.

"When it comes to Yuuka-chan though…I don't think any outsider could or can convince her. She's always made her decisions by herself."

**~xXx~**

"Can you believe it? Hyotei's missing their captain and vice captain," Tsubaki grinned, jerking her thumb towards the crowd of girls wearing blue-gray and white. "We've got this in the bag."

Takahashi Kotone, a senior who looked far more like a model than an athlete, did not look convinced. "It's still Hyotei though," she reminded, crossing her arms. "We can't just let our guards down yet."

Tsubaki waved it off. "You sound like Tezuka when you say that."

Ignoring their squabbling, Ayuka and Risae turned to Hazuki. "Thoughts, Zuki-chan?" Risae asked, twirling her blonde hair around her finger.

The captain merely glanced over at the Hyotei team. The tall one, Fukumitsu was talking to the famous Atobe while everyone else appeared to be waiting. All except Akechi Yuuka, whose head of pink and purple hair stood out in any crowd.

"There might be some truth in Tsubaki's words," was all she said, looking down at their own lineup. They hadn't submitted it either, deciding to wait for the boys.

"Don't you dare," Ayuka the vice captain warned, eyes cautious. "You look like you're about to propose something crazy, and I don't think we can do anything crazy against Hyotei."

Hazuki tilted her head, smiling. "It's not crazy if it works, Ayuka."

**~xXx~**

He charged in like a storm he was, brash and powerful and earthshaking. She didn't quite know why he was here or why he still cared so much, but perhaps it was all for the better.

"Get changed, Sorano," he barked, jerking his chin towards her bag. "You've got a match today."

There were so many reasons why she could have said no, so many excuses she could have made. But she didn't, because there was something in his brown eyes that told her otherwise. They—he—wouldn't take any bullshit.

_He's actually trying to convince me again? He still thinks I'm worth it?_

Dimly, she was aware that this probably had something to do with him wanting to defend Hyotei's reputation, but she didn't care. She was still worth it, she just had to believe it.

And then he grabbed her wrist and began running, all the way to the tennis courts where she threw herself into Erena's hug. She thought, all the while, that all storms should come in the form of Shishido Ryou.

**~xXx~**

"The match between Hyotei Academy and Seishun Academy is about to begin. Players, please shake hands."

_Interesting_, Hazuki thought, _so very interesting._

Next to her, Tsubaki hissed. "I can't believe Sorano actually came back," she muttered darkly, ignoring the golden haired senior whose hand she was shaking. "And in singles, nonetheless."

Hazuki shrugged, keeping eye contact with Shiina Ikue. "We'll just have to make do."

Shiina, she noticed with satisfaction, tightened her jaw and gripped her hand harder, like she was trying to stop the blood from flowing. "Akiyoshi Hazuki, right?" she said steadily, voice a little deeper than Hazuki had expected. "You might want to take us seriously."

"Do I, though?" the Seigaku captain asked mildly. "Honestly, I'd been hoping for Sorano and Akechi, not some last second combination." She cast a look at the auburn haired second year standing across from Risae. "I'm kind of disappointed."

"Your mistake then," Shiina shrugged, feigning nonchalance. But her hackles were raised, on edge and alert.

Hazuki smirked. _That's the first mistake, Hyotei_.

Takahashi Kotone, their Singles 3 player, was shaking hands with Sorano Tsukiko. Neither of them spoke, but they looked equal parts ready and weary. _Let's just get this over with_.

Next to Kotone was Araki Teruko, a third year with fiery hair and tranquil eyes. Akechi Yuuka was across from her, all claws and smirks and sharp eyes. Teruko, however, didn't seem very affected, engaged in a silent staring contest with Hyotei's mastermind.

At the end of the line were Ayuka and Fukumitsu Erena, merely regarding each other. Fukumitsu stood a full head taller than the Seigaku vice captain, but Ayuka didn't seem to mind. Caught in a stalemate, they never broke eye contact.

_Yes_, Hazuki thought with relish. _This is so very interesting_.

**~xXx~**

"I don't like Akiyoshi," Ikue stated flatly as they waited for Doubles 2 to begin. She stood with her arms crossed, glaring daggers at the Seigaku captain calmly sitting on the bench.

Tsukiko had to laugh at the childish expression. "She's got quite the effect on people," she agreed, peering over at the opposing team. "Furuya Risae's pretty good too, so be careful when you're playing them."

"I must admit though," Oshitari cut in with a small frown. "Anna-chan and Yoshida-chan are a strange pair. Are you _sure _it was the right choice?"

"It was a tough decision," Erena admitted sheepishly. "Kind of last second too, but it's not like we can do anything about it now. Hopefully they'll be able to work something out."

Anna and Airi were silently getting ready, checking their racquet strings and shoelaces. The older girl was serious and determined, hazel eyes grim. Even Airi did not smile.

Matsumoto Tsubaki and Otaka Ami were already waiting for them at the net. Seigaku was waiting for them.

Yuuka glanced at her teammates, a serious expression in her eyes. "Neither of you are very experienced doubles players," she stated bluntly, shrugging as if to say _what can you do about it? _"But that's not what matters. Matsumoto has a habit of over hitting, and Otaka's serve is weak. Got it?"

They nodded silently.

"Then give them hell."

**~xXx~**

**End**

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N: **And I FINALLY got to introducing Seigaku! How are you liking them so far?

Once again, if you've followed this story but haven't written a review please do! Maybe I should be evil and not post anything until I get a certain number, but I might not. Still, all reviews are appreciated and any feedback is gladly taken.

_**Some things on Sorano Tsukiko**_

_She's always graceful and elegant but hates dancing because it's the only time she trips. Singing's so much better anyway._

_Despite being all sweet and nice, she's obsessed with horror movies. Her favorite is "__It" __and she once asked a clown which sewer he lived in. Her mother could not get her out of there fast enough._

_She had a two day crush on Gakuto last year. Thank God it didn't last._

_The first time she met Erena she thought she was an older kid (due to her height) that was trying to steal her lunch money. __That's __an embarrassing story she hopes Erena forgot about._

_She knows Yuuka better than anyone, even Atobe. As a result she's the only one that actually understands any insecurities or fears the mastermind has, and respects all of them. Yuuka does the same for her, which she will always grateful for._

Love, Cara


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or Lilting Glamour's OCs.

**A/N: **Holy crap, I just realized how many of my characters have a name that starts with "A".

* * *

**~xXx~**

"_You should have listened_

_There is someone here inside_

_Someone I thought had died_

_So long ago."_

—Beyoncé, _Listen_

**~xXx~**

* * *

Kotone frowned as she squinted to get a better look at the Hyotei Doubles 2 pair. There was something about the girl with hair like gold that she couldn't quite put her finger on, something very important that Kotone just couldn't remember.

"Something wrong, Kotone-chan?" Ayuka asked in concern, noticing her frown.

Kotone shook her head. "Nothing really. I just thought that the Hayashi girl looked really familiar."

Fuji, who was standing nearby, turned to them with that ever-present smile. "I wonder how true the stereotype that pretty girls are jealous of other pretty girls is," he commented lightly.

"That's not it," Kotone disagreed, rolling her eyes while trying to hide her blush. _Damn _that angelically crafted face. "But I think you're onto something, Fuji-kun."

**~xXx~**

_Holy shit, she's strong,_ was all Anna could think as she shook Matsumoto Tsubaki's hand. She hadn't noticed it earlier, but the pale haired Seigaku girl had powerful muscles that were bigger than those of some boys. Not bulky, but stocky, and definitely stronger than Anna's leaner muscles.

Airi was shaking hands with Otaka Ami, the only second year on Seigaku's female team. She was short, though still taller than Airi, yet she looked much wispier. For some reason, it felt like your hand could pass right through her because all she looked like was a weak, flickering flame.

But Anna knew better than that. She remembered Ami from last year, and knew that she was anything but weak or flickering.

"Up or down?" she asked, setting her racquet in between them.

Tsubaki carelessly shrugged. "Down."

It was down, as a matter of fact, and that earned a wide smirk from the muscular girl. Anna swallowed down the urge to scowl, but that left a bitter taste in her mouth. _Next time I won't be so nice_.

"Come on, Yoshida," she called, heading back to the baseline. "Let's get this over with."

**~xXx~**

Matching up with her appearance, Tsubaki was indeed pretty damn strong. That serve of hers was enough to prove it.

The first had been an ace, cracking right down the middle before Anna could move. The second had been a little slower, but Airi had hit into the net. The third was the same story.

Anna swore every swear in the book, glaring at Tsubaki. _Goddammit, why do you have to be so fucking stron_g? She really wanted to punch someone right now, preferably Tsubaki's arm so she would be sore.

Airi missed the next serve, barely clipping it and almost tripping. Anna was alarmed at how tired she already looked. _I knew Yoshida's stamina was bad, but this bad? _Clearly the younger girl still needed work with Yuuka.

"Game, Seigaku! 1-0"

"Sorry, Hayashi-senpai," Airi apologized, bending over to catch her breath. "I'll get it next time though."

"Forget about that," Anna snapped, rounding on her. "How are you so tired already? We couldn't return a single serve, so you definitely shouldn't be out of breath!"

Airi paled, but maybe that was just because she was still catching her breath. Before she could say anything though, Yuuka cut in from her perch on the bench. "Stop it, Hayashi. Take the net, Yoshida, and you serve, Hayashi," she called, eyes narrowed in concentration.

Anna took a deep breath, counted silently to ten. _Calm the fuck down, Anna. You're overreacting about something minor_. Maybe Airi was just winded from the force of Tsubaki's serve, or maybe she'd been holding her breath. It was all going to be okay, Anna told herself.

She even believed it for a second, but nobody—not even Yuuka—could predict what was going to happen later.

**~xXx~**

"15-40!"

"Good one, Matsumoto-senpai," Ami grinned after Tsubaki had ripped a forehand return straight down the middle. Even a more experienced doubles pair like Tsukiko and Yuuka would have had trouble with that, much less Anna and Airi, two predominantly singles players.

Tsubaki nodded flippantly, watching the Hyotei players with a gleam in her brown eyes. "Hayashi's pissed," she stated, smirking. "And Yoshida looks like she's at her limit already. Pitiful," she scoffed.

Ami observed them carefully. Hayashi Anna reminded her of Kotone-senpai—beautiful and refined, though also very passionate. Except while Kotone bottled up her passion and saved it for later, Anna let it all loose at the moment it built up. Yoshida Airi, on the other hand, looked messy compared to her senior. Messily tied up pale brown hair, grass stains on her jersey, and a racquet with unevenly applied grip tape, she looked like an amateur player. Her poor stamina only heightened that image, and Ami dismissed her as their least concern.

She remembered what Inui had said about Anna's ability to pull herself out of tough situations though, and made a mental note to watch out for her.

Anna served again, almost on par with Tsubaki's serve of pure power. But, Ami thought with relish, Anna _wasn't _on par with Tsubaki's power. Ami's return went down the line, right in the path of Airi. The Hyotei second year stepped forward neatly, volleying with such an angle that the ball hit the bottom of Seigaku's side of the net.

"30-40!"

Ami gritted her teeth. _Damn it_. So maybe she couldn't count out Yoshida just yet.

"Don't worry about that, Otaka," Tsubaki shrugged casually, though she was on edge and alert, shooting daggers at the shorter Hyotei girl. "That was a lucky shot."

"Yeah, I know," Ami replied, chewing on her lower lip. It hadn't been a lucky shot, and they both knew that.

Tsubaki studied their opponents, gripped her racquet tighter. "Just attack Yoshida, she won't last much longer."

"Got it."

**~xXx~**

Risae was watching carefully, an amused smile on her face. "You've got to give to Ami-chan, really. She'll make a great captain next year." She hummed.

Next to her, Oishi raised a brow in confusion. "It looks like Matsumoto-san is taking charge, though," he pointed out as Tsubaki let loose a wicked smash.

Inui, however, disagreed. "Matsumoto's power may be the finisher, but Otaka knows exactly where to hit the ball at Yoshida so Matsumoto can finish the point." He explained.

Sure enough, as Airi hit a backhand, Ami intercepted it at the net and shot it right back, catching Airi off guard. The Hyotei girl mishit it, sending a fairly weak shot right at Tsubaki, and the point was sealed.

"Game, Seigaku! 3-1!"

"Alright! Go Matsumoto and Otaka!" a few of the boys cheered. Kotone, however, was carefully watching the court. "She's not happy," Kotone said, frowning slightly.

Momoshiro turned to her with a confused expression. "Who's not happy?" he asked.

Fuji, however, had his eyes wide open—literally and figuratively. He appeared to agree with Kotone, nodding slowly. "Takahashi-san's right. Hyotei's Hayashi is definitely not happy." Sure enough, Hayashi Anna looked positively livid, glaring daggers directly at Tsubaki and Ami. She wasn't even trying to hide it, either.

"Can you blame her, though?" Araki Teruko shrugged, twisting her curly red ponytail into a bun. "It always sucks when the other pair targets your partner. Kind of makes you feel like you're not important enough, you know?"

Oishi's blood ran cold. He remembered a St. Rudolph match three years ago, where Akazawa and his partner relentlessly attacked Kikumaru. Even if this was happening to the other team, he knew how it felt to always be seen as the weak one.

Then again, he remembered, they'd almost come through, hadn't they, him and Eiji? They'd almost won, until Eiji simply couldn't take it anymore, all out of stamina. Something told Oishi that maybe, just maybe, the Hyotei pair could make it through this. It wasn't easy playing Tsubaki and Ami, but this was Hyotei they were against.

"What's wrong, Oishi? Thinking about Igarashi?" Fuji teased, eyes no longer open and a sickly sweet smile on his face.

Oishi blushed, recoiling back and stammering. "W-what? No, no, no, that's not it—."

Fuji's smile said all.

**~xXx~**

"What the absolute fuck is this?" Yuuka hissed in outrage, shooting up from the bench.

Immediately, Atobe gripped her arms back, preventing her from charging off. "Calm. Down." He hissed into her ear, though his own blue eyes were narrowed. "It's bad sportsmanship, but it's not against the rules so you can't do anything about it."

Yuuka glowered at the Seigaku side, bared her teeth. "Unless you don't remember, Keigo, I'm not really a fan of bad sportsmanship," she growled.

"Hey!" The umpire called, looking at them bemusedly. "Is there something going on over there?" Even the game had been paused, all four players giving them strange looks. Akiyoshi Hazuki, Seigaku's bench coach, was poker faced but the smirk in her eyes was evident.

Only then did Atobe realize how ridiculous they probably looked, him holding her arms behind her and standing probably too close. He released her, albeit grudgingly. "Nothing, just continue with the match," Atobe replied lightly, discreetly elbowing Yuuka. "Right, Yuuka-chan? _Apologize_," he whispered the last part.

She looked like she'd rather drink mud than apologize, but she did so. "Sorry, sir. Like he said, just continue with the match." Yuuka elbowed him right back, none too discreetly.

The umpire cast them a weird look, but at least he wasn't suspicious of anything. Signaling for the match to continue, everybody turned back to the court and not Hyotei's bench coach and king.

Tsukiko, who hadn't said anything to Yuuka all day, softly spoke up. "Atobe-kun's right though, Yuuka. It's not very fair what Seigaku's doing, but it's not like we can do anything about it. Anna-san and Airi-chan will figure something out, though."

Yuuka looked at her in surprise, but the red haired captain wasn't looking at her. Atobe, quite frankly, didn't blame Tsukiko, but his loyalty towards Yuuka left him conflicted. _I can't make all my decisions based around her, but for some reason I do._

But they had bigger problems at the moment. Because Matsumoto Tsubaki and Otaka Ami were hitting only to Airi, and she was quickly running out of energy with each shot.

**~xXx~**

Misaki had once told her that anger was something that should be quelled, because too much of it led to explosions and explosions did nothing but cause hurt and pain.

_Screw that_, Anna thought darkly as she was unable to hit a single ball. _Seigaku deserves a hell of a lot of pain right now_.

"Game, Seigaku! 5-2!"

_Impossible_, the crowd whispered in awe. _Hyotei, school of kings and queens, are losing so badly_.

Anna squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lip in frustration. _Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up…_

"Hayashi-senpai?" Airi asked—more like sputtered, since she was gasping so hard for breath. Sweat left a shiny sheen on her face, sticking loose strands of cinnamon hair to her forehead and neck. "I'm sorry about that, but I think I'm getting a hang of it now."

Anna wanted to scream. Airi most definitely was not getting a hang of it, and she wouldn't if things kept on going this way. Goddammit, why did things have to go this way? Why did she have to be slotted for doubles?

Yuuka signaled for a time out, and that gave them—Airi—a chance to rest. Anna, who hadn't even broken a sweat because she hadn't been doing anything, glanced at the second year in concern. Even in singles, Airi hadn't been this tired before, and it definitely wasn't because of Tsubaki or Ami's power. No, there was definitely something else going on here.

Even Yuuka looked concerned, which was rare. "What's with you, Yoshida? The first set isn't even over yet, how are you already so tired?" Yuuka asked, exchanging glances with Anna.

Airi took a second to breathe, panting heavily. "I'm okay, Akechi-senpai. I guess I just didn't get enough sleep last night," she said lamely.

Yuuka didn't buy it for a second. "You arrived this morning as jittery as a five year old on a sugar high. Give me your next best shot," she deadpanned.

Atobe chose that moment to cut in. "That's enough, Yuuka-chan," he chided gently. Turning to Airi, he said, "Lay low for the rest of this set. Let Hayashi-san take most of the shots, and we can wait for you to recover before starting the next set."

The second year rapidly shook her head. "No, it's fine! I can still play!" Airi insisted, only to start coughing. "I swear I'm fine!"

None of the third years looked convinced.

"It's okay, Yoshida," Anna said, awkwardly placing a hand on Airi's shoulder. "Take a break, just hit serves. I'll take care of Matsumoto and Otaka, you worry about catching your breath and resting up."

Airi frowned. "But—"

"No buts," Atobe shook his head sternly. "The match is important, yes, but your health is far more. Rest for a couple games, and then we'll see how you're faring."

Atobe's words obviously didn't please Airi, but she nodded anyway, looking sulkly. Anna patted her shoulder one more time before getting up, adjusting the strings on her racquet.

_I'll show those Seigaku bitches how Hyotei gets things done._

**~xXx~**

"Good job," Hazuki nodded to Tsubaki and Ami. "It looks like Hyotei has fallen right into your trap."

Tsubaki nodded proudly with a smug smile. "They most certainly have," she agreed.

Ami, however, didn't look so proud. "Maybe a little too well," she said softly, glancing over at the Hyotei side. "Don't you think Yoshida looks a little too tired? I mean, we've been attacking her relentlessly, but I feel like there's some other force that's coming into play and affecting her."

"That's ridiculous," Tsubaki scoffed. "Inui did say that she has bad stamina, so it's probably even worse than we thought."

Ami still didn't look convinced.

"So what's next, Hazuki-buchou?" Tsubaki turned back to her captain. "Do we continue targeting Yoshida, or do we start on Hayashi?"

Deep in thought, Hazuki tugged on her brown bangs, watching Akechi Yuuka speak to Hayashi and Yoshida. "Knowing Akechi, she's probably telling Hayashi to cover for Yoshida and take all the shots while Yoshida rests. So I say you continue aiming for Yoshida until she's absolutely done. It shouldn't be so hard to take out Hayashi after that," she decided. "Got it?"

Tsubaki nodded appreciatively, a smirk growing on her lips. Ami grudgingly agreed with the plan too, but she thought, not for the first time, that her captain was the scariest person she'd ever met.

**~xXx~**

_I've got to tell them._

Airi was so exhausted.

After the time out, Tsubaki and Ami were even fiercer than before, relentlessly aiming for her at an even faster pace. Anna was completely ignored, no matter how hard she tried to intercept the ball.

_I've got to tell them_, Airi thought desperately as she hit another weak drop shot. Ami charged the net, sliced the ball at Airi's feet. _I've got to tell them._

But she found herself unable to as she fell straight on her back trying to return Ami's shot. _Oh God, why can't I just tell them_?

"Game and set, Seigaku! 6-2!"

Airi vaguely saw a hand extended towards her, but her vision was swimming so much she saw multiple. "Yoshida?" That was Anna's voice, wasn't it? It wasn't deep enough to be Ikue's or sweet enough to be Tsukiko's, so it had to be Anna, right? Or maybe it was Yuuka? They kind of had similar tones to their voices, didn't they?

_I have to tell them._

But suddenly she couldn't talk, couldn't even breathe. Her lungs felt constricted as she exploded into coughs, unable to catch even a single breath of air. This had happened before, but oh god, why was it so bad this time? This was the worst of them all.

"Yoshida!"

Dimly, she was aware of the crowd turning to her, of the fence opening and a group of people wearing blue-gray rushing towards her, of a hand on her shoulder. But she still couldn't breathe, couldn't stop coughing.

_I should have told them._

**~xXx~**

The first to reach Airi was Kabaji.

He almost ripped the door out of the fence as he rushed forward, dread worsening in every step. _No, no, no, no._

"Airi!" he shouted, shocking the crowd because Kabaji Munehiro never shouted. But he could hardly care less at the moment. "Airi!"

Atobe came next, sitting down and easing her head into his lap. "Inhaler," he ordered, frantically looking around him. "She needs an inhaler."

"Are you saying she's having an asthma attack?" Tsukiko demanded, blue eyes full of worry. "I didn't know she had asthma!"

"Neither did I," was Atobe's response as he wiped the sweat of Airi's forehead. "But that's the only logical possibility." It occurred to Kabaji that while Atobe was trying to keep a calm front, the panic in his blue eyes was so very, very real.

Yuuka was glaring at the crowd. "Well?" She snapped. "Don't any of you have an inhaler?"

Nobody did. Nobody even moved, too shocked by the situation.

"Shit," she swore, dropping down besides Atobe, Kabaji, and Airi. "Someone check her bag for one!"

Immediately, Ikue snatched up Airi's green bag and began rifling through it, shaking her head after a minute. "There's no inhaler in here!"

"Shit," and this time Yuuka and Atobe said it in unison.

Kabaji focused on Airi, gently smoothing her hair out of the way. She had stopped coughing, which for a second made him believe she was getting better. But then, horrified, he saw her lips turning blue as she began wheezing, desperately trying to breathe but unable to.

Suddenly, the crowd of Hyotei students was shoved aside as a figure came speeding through, arm extended. "She can use mine," a very familiar voice said, urgent and hurried.

Kabaji looked up at the newcomer. He hadn't ever seen her before out of uniform, but today she wore a simple red T-shirt and denim cutoff shorts. Her dark hair was tied up as usual, topaz colored eyes worried. And in her outstretched hand was an inhaler.

"Well shit," Yuuka broke the silence. "It looks like she's come back."

**~xXx~**

Shun hadn't _wanted _to come. But somehow, she ended up doing just that.

She'd been spending the day walking around Tokyo with Taiki, when she'd suddenly received a text from Takara, the only person who ever actually talked to her like she was a normal person.

_Suzuki Takara_: _Hey, you might want to come over to the courts. Your team is struggling._

Not even questioning why Takara had come all the way over from Kanagawa, Shun had simply grabbed Taiki's hand and sprinted all the way down to the courts. Not at the prospect of seeing her team, but because Takara was going to be there. _I'll get to see her again for the first time in years, I need to talk to her_.

But once she'd gotten to the courts, the sight before her was enough to make her forget about Takara. The entire crowd was leaning forward, craning their necks to get a good look at one side of the court—the _Hyotei _side.

As if that hadn't been enough to raise Shun's dread, she saw her teammates all standing around Atobe, who was sitting with someone's head in his lap as Kabaji and Yuuka stuck close by him.

Shun knew immediately who it was. And that was enough to leave her winded, as if she were about to have an asthma attack herself.

"Well? Don't any of you have an inhaler?" Yuuka's voice rang out as she searched the crowd for someone to come forth. But nobody did.

Taiki tugged on Shun's arm. "You have yours with you, Nee-san. Go help," he half ordered and half coaxed, pushing off in the direction of the Hyotei students.

She didn't need anything else. Breaking off at a high speed run, she pushed all her classmates out of the way until she reached the smaller crowd of regulars, shoved past Chizuru and Erena along the way.

"She can use mine," Shun said desperately, holding her inhaler out to Kabaji. The docile boy looked up at her, shock clouding his eyes for a moment. She vaguely heard Yuuka saying something, but her heart was pounding too hard to register it. Then the moment passed, and Kabaji nodded determinedly, taking the inhaler and giving it to Atobe.

Atobe wasted no time in using the inhaler, and soon enough Airi's lips were starting to lose their blue. Everyone relaxed noticeably, especially Atobe and Kabaji. Shun let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding, and suddenly she realized that everyone was now staring at her.

"I…I-I'm sorry…" was all she said, quiet and almost inaudible but still loud enough. Tsukiko gave her a warm, encouraging smile, and that almost made Shun feel worse. Because even after she'd said such horrible things to the sweetest person on the planet, she was being forgiven just like that.

Yuuka was looking at her impassively, yet the tightness of her jaw was enough for Shun to know that someone hadn't forgiven her. But she was okay with that, for now.

_For now, I'd like to come back_.

**~xXx~**

"What did I say?" Ami snapped, glaring at Tsubaki and Hazuki. "I _said _there was something else that was wrong, and neither of you believed me! She could have died if nobody had an inhaler!"

Tsubaki hung her head in shame, which was strange coming from the usually fierce senior. Even Hazuki looked guilty, gaze laced with concern. "We didn't know though, Ami, and from the looks of it her teammates didn't know either. It's nobody's fault."

Ami still looked angry. "Yes, it is our fault! Doubles aren't meant to be played like this, and we did because we're bad sports. If this is what you expect from me, Akiyoshi-buchou, then I refuse to play in this match any longer." She declared, dropping her racquet with a clatter.

"Careful now, Otaka!" Tsubaki said at the same time Hazuki calmly replied, "What do you want me to do, Ami? I can't do anything, and you know that."

The second year gritted her teeth, knowing very well that she was about to put her pride on the line. She was about to put _Seigaku_'_s _pride on the line, but that didn't matter. Ami had to do what was right.

"We have to forfeit this match, buchou," she said quietly, yet she was dead serious as she stared Hazuki on right in the eye. "We don't deserve victory if it comes like this."

"And they do?" Hazuki raised a brow, crossing her arms. Her voice was just as serious as Ami's, except much more frightening. "Do they deserve victory because one of their players got an asthma attack? Life isn't that sympathetic, Ami, and tennis isn't either."

"Buchou, _please_," Ami pleaded, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "This won't be one hundred percent right either way, but it would be more so if we gave it to them. _Please_."

For a second she thought Hazuki was going to ignore her, tell her that she wouldn't give it to Hyotei. That was the Hazuki that everyone knew, who could be kind to those she liked but showed no mercy to those she didn't.

Then, Hazuki turned to the umpire, stood up, and said, loudly and clearly, "Seigaku forfeits Doubles 2 to Hyotei."

Everyone was silent for a full minute. Then, the rage broke out.

**~xXx~**

Tsukiko couldn't even hear herself with all the shouting. Hazuki's statement had brought forth an outrage from both Hyotei and Seigaku sides, and the cries were absolutely deafening.

Hell, she couldn't even hear what was being shouted, but she knew that it was something among the lines of, "We don't accept your pity!" from Hyotei and "You don't deserve that win!" from Seigaku. But all the voices blurred together was too much, too goddamned much for Tsukiko to bear.

Suddenly, Yuuka strode out into the middle of the court, hands clenched and stare murderous. Tsukiko first thought that she was about to attack Hazuki, but then she realized that Yuuka wouldn't do that. She was going to calm the crowd down, or intimidate them enough that they would shut up.

And, well, nobody was born for the job except Yuuka.

"Shut up!" she screamed, effectively capturing the crowd's attention despite the noise. She stood there with her feet planted firmly in the ground, arms crossed across her chest forbearingly. "What the hell is wrong with all of you? So what if Seigaku just forfeited the match? It's their fucking choice, and even if they asked to continue playing we would have gone with it!" she snapped, burning holes in the bodies of Hyotei students with just her eyes.

"And you, Akiyoshi!" Yuuka turned to the Seigaku side, where immediately everyone bristled except for Hazuki. "Even if one of our players just got an asthma attack, that doesn't fucking mean you can just pity us like that. We're strong, you know, and you'll soon regret opening your mouth."

Hazuki merely raised a brow in challenge. "Then I look forward to that, Akechi."

_Then I look forward to that, Akechi_.

Tsukiko's blood ran cold as she gripped the sleeves of her jacket for support. Weren't those the exact same words Hazuki had said to Yuuka last year, during the Kantou semi-finals? Tsukiko remembered thinking, back then, that she never wanted to be locked in a room with the both of them, ever.

Kneeling down and squeezing Airi's hand, Tsukiko turned to Atobe. "Please, Atobe-kun, don't let Yuuka do something she might regret," she said quietly, just loudly enough for him to hear.

Atobe gave her a look, and she knew immediately that she had disappointed him in some way. It was bone chilling and heart stopping, and not in a good way. Bitterly, she thought, _I know I'm not a good captain, okay? Stop judging me like that_.

She thought of the boy that had come for her just that morning, just an hour ago. The boy who wasn't particularly tall or strong, but he had a fiercer heart than anyone she knew. Who had never judged her and only tried to get her back on her feet, even if they hardly knew each other. Whose backward blue cap and determined brown eyes gave him the look of someone gruff and weathered, beaten down but rose back up through sheer force of will.

If only she could be like him. The first step, she decided, would be when she stepped on the court alone for the first time in six years, against Takahashi Kotone. Tsukiko found the model-like girl's face in the crowd, and by some chance Kotone was staring at her too, those blue eyes reading every thought of hers. Gripping Airi's hand just a little harder, Tsukiko silently swore to defeat the Seigaku girl, to prove to everyone that she was worth just as much as those stronger than her.

She didn't search for his face though, because she wanted to wait until after she had won to see it. She hoped he would be proud, even if he had no reason to.

**~xXx~**

"Doubles 1 will begin in five minutes. Players, please enter the court now."

Kabaji and Atobe had taken Airi out to somewhere with less people so she could get some peace. Anna, who had hit less than ten shots the whole match, was silently sitting on the bleachers, ignoring even Ikue. Chizuru guessed that she was angry at Seigaku, and quite frankly she didn't blame her.

Ikue finished tying her shoelace, checked to make sure her ponytail was tight. "You ready, Kataoka-san?" she asked grimly, mouth a narrow line.

Honestly, Chizuru wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and just stay that way for all eternity. She didn't want to play Seigaku after what had just happened with Airi, with Anna, with everyone. Especially not that captain of theirs, who reminded her so very much of an even scarier Yuuka.

Instead, she said, "Okay," and obediently trotted over to Yuuka, stomach growing queasier with each step.

Yuuka was silent for a good thirty seconds, not even meeting their eyes. Finally, she said, "Akiyoshi and Furuya beat us last year," voice as hollow and beaten as a drum.

Chizuru's insides twisted. "_What?_" she squeaked, bordering on a panic attack.

The eden eyed girl said nothing, her silence the loudest scream.

Ikue tightened her grip on her racquet, violet eyes flashing with determination. "So you're saying there's no way we can beat them, huh?"

"I don't know," Yuuka shrugged. She was so calm and quiet that it was so not Yuuka, and that scared Chizuru most of all. "I don't know if you can. Furuya is a great net player, but Akiyoshi is malicious. It's impossible to not get caught in her trap."

"It's _not _impossible," Ikue snapped, and this side of her was scaring Chizuru. "Traps can backfire, or set off at the wrong time. It's not impossible, and the fact that you're saying it is makes it all the more ridiculous, Akechi."

Yuuka didn't say anything. Didn't even tell them her trademark "give them hell."

Disgusted, Ikue turned on her heel. "You coming, Kataoka?" she called without looking over her shoulder. "Doubles can't be two against one."

Except, Chizuru thought, the ironic part was that doubles had just been played two against one, and look where that got them.

**~xXx~**

**End**

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N: **Okay…I can explain…I am probably the worst person on earth for letting that happen to Airi and Anna, and wow, I'm not even sure what just happened.

Airi's asthma attack was actually based off of something that happened to my teammate two years ago, except Airi's is more dramatic and my teammate had hers during practice and not an official match.

Was there not enough tennis? Also, what are you thinking about the Seigaku girls? They will be featured more even after the matches are over, so I'd just like to hear some thoughts right now.

Also, I've said this before, but please please PLEASE, if you have liked or followed this story but haven't left a review PLEASE do. Is 45 reviews an unreasonable goal? I'd like to make it to 45 with this chapter, so please? I appreciate all your thoughts and critiques, and it would be really nice to know if there's anything in particular I'm doing well.

Also also also, there's a couple other things I'm thinking about starting, all spinoffs of this story. Keep an eye out for the mention of these titles:

-**All Your What Ifs**

**-so lovely when you say goodbye**

_**Some Things On Kataoka Chizuru...**_

_She's always liked Choutarou since they first met but had a mild crush on Shishido for a while when she saw him in track. To this day she still thinks he's pretty good looking but would never be able to bring herself to say that. It's not like he notices her any more than Choutarou does, anyway._

_Her diet consists of coffee, 5 Hour Energy, and more coffee. On bad days she can't even get an hour of sleep._

_She's actually childhood friends with Hiyoshi, and they used to always play with each other. Now they don't interact nearly as much but still talk a little whenever they see each other. Though she doesn't understand at all when his whole "Gekokujo" phase started. Blame it on the puberty._

_The fingers on her dominant hand can't be straightened because they're too used to holding pencils and turning pages of books._

_Upon first meeting Airi, she was convinced the girl was some sort of magical leprechaun rainbow fairy. Now…well, it's still kind of true. She's just worried that she might turn into a magical leprechaun rainbow fairy too._

Love, Cara


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or Lilting Glamour's OCs.

* * *

**~xXx~**

"_Half my life's in books' written pages_

_Live and learn from fools and from sages_

_You know it's true_

_All the prayers come back to you."_

—Aerosmith, _Dream On_

**~xXx~**

* * *

"I'm so very sorry about that last match. Risae and I will be taking this one very seriously, though, so have no worries," Hazuki smiled, a more sly and ambiguous smile than Yuuka had ever shown.

Ikue grimaced, forcing herself to keep on shaking Hazuki's hand. _You fucking bitch_.

After what she had just seen happen to Airi and Anna, Ikue was so not amused. Seigaku, she swore, would pay for it. To hell with the fact that Hazuki and Risae had defeated Tsukiko and Yuuka last year, this was a different year, and Seigaku wasn't going to claim victory this time.

Hyotei lost the call, which caused Ikue's grimace to deepen. _Goddammit. _Hazuki cocked her head, brown eyes widened in mock concern. "Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like to serve instead?"

_Fuck off_, Ikue thought. "I couldn't care less," was what she really said.

Risae sighed in exasperation, snatching the balls from Hazuki's hands. "_I'll _serve, Zuki-chan." She decided. Ikue made a mental note that Risae appeared to be the more sane of the two, though that wasn't saying much.

Ikue had won the right to be a regular last year, but she'd opted to be a sub regular and gave her rightfully won position to an upperclassmen. She didn't remember Tsukiko and Yuuka's match with Hazuki and Risae, but she did remember that it had been a pretty close match.

_I can do this. _We _can do this_, she thought as she glanced over at the nervous Chizuru.

"Hey, lighten up, Kataoka," she bumped the second year's shoulder. "We can do this."

As she strode back to the baseline, Ikue self-consciously traced the stripes of dye in her hair, blue the color of Hotaka's eyes and green the color of Daisuke's. _This one's for you two._

**~xXx~**

"That comfortable enough?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Keigo-senpai."

All was silent for a good few seconds, none of the three making eye contact. Airi was staring down at her feet, head bowed in shame. Atobe wouldn't have been surprised if she were crying.

Finally, Kabaji spoke up. "How long?" he asked, simply put yet wanting to know everything.

"All my life," Airi replied hollowly, voice husky. She still refused to look up. "It got worse after you guys left though."

"Why didn't you ever tell us? Or Sorano?" Atobe asked next. He didn't know whether to be disapproving of her or simply worried, but that wasn't what mattered right now. Airi just needed them to be there for her.

She shrugged. "They didn't need to know. _You _didn't need to know."

Atobe gritted his teeth. Damn, that girl was as stubborn as she was perky and bright. "Don't give me any of that teen drama bullshit," he warned, eyes narrowing. "You're an athlete, of course your team members need to know about any health conditions. There's another reason, isn't there?"

By the hunching of her shoulders, he knew he had struck a chord.

"_Why_, Airi?" he demanded, voice rising to a desperate shout. "_Why _didn't you tell either of us? Are we not that important to you, did you think we wouldn't care?"

"Well, you left didn't you?" she yelled back. She would have shot upright if Kabaji hadn't stopped her. "You left me in London, and I hated it there! I was alone for six years, and you never even came back to visit!"

"That's an entirely different matter!"

"Enough, both of you," Kabaji cut in sternly. The lines on his face were disapproving, brown eyes reprimanding both of them. "This isn't worth fighting over."

Atobe laughed harshly. "Admit it, Kabaji, you'd side with her any of the week, right?"

Kabaji didn't say anything.

"Well," Atobe shrugged as he turned away. "What else should I have expected. It's always been that way, and you never learn or change, Kabaji."

_The king ultimately rules alone._

**~xXx~**

"Game, Hyotei! 3 all!"

Araki Teruko nodded appreciatively. "Not too shabby, Hyotei. The girl with dyed hair knows what she's doing," she commented lightly.

Inui adjusted his glasses. "Shiina Ikue, yes. Of all the Hyotei regulars, she is the one I have the least data on, but you can't deny that she is a good player. Very steady, knows how to keep her emotions in." he agreed.

"Can't really say the same for her partner, though," Tsubaki scoffed.

Indeed, Kataoka Chizuru appeared to be struggling. While she did show some natural talent for doubles, she was too unsure, not confident enough to make the big shots. Shiina was the one hitting all the winners.

They watched as Ikue prepared to serve, bouncing the ball up and down several times. Her serve was not amazing in terms of power, but the amount of slice she could generate sent the ball sliding away from Risae in a clean ace.

"Think they'll win?" Teruko wondered aloud, though she didn't specify whom exactly she was talking about.

Yet Inui seemed to understand what she meant. Shaking his head, he replied, "No, they won't. _She _won't let it happen."

This time, they all knew whom _she _was referring to.

**~xXx~**

Ikue was pretty satisfied with herself. Her and Chizuru were losing, sure, but it was pretty close. And this was probably her personal best in a long while, so she was having fun with it.

That is, until Akiyoshi Hazuki purposefully mishit the ball and turned to smirk at her. "You're not bad, Shiina," she said, that smirk never leaving her face. "I like you."

_Fuck off_. "That's great," Ikue replied flatly. "I've earned the approval of Seigaku's captain. My life's dream has been accomplished."

Hazuki was unaffected by the sarcasm. "Can't really say the same for your partner, though." Chizuru jumped noticeably, looking very much like a deer in headlights as she tried not to meet Hazuki's eyes. "Is she nervous, or is she just always this jumpy?"

"Zuki," Risae warned, her teakwood brown eyes stern. "Just keep on playing."

"Right," Hazuki shrugged, casually leaning forward in ready position. "Just keep playing. Got it."

**~xXx~**

Tsukiko bit her lip in concern. Said, "Chizuru-chan's too nervous. It must be from what Akiyoshi-san said about her," with concern.

"I will murder that bitch," Yuuka deadpanned, glaring at Hazuki. "Who does she even think she is?"

There were a few choice words Tsukiko wanted to say, but then she recoiled when she realized how horrible they were. _I won't be cruel to you, Yuuka, even if you don't care about me._

Shun, however, chose to say some choice words of her own. "Funny you mention that, Akechi, since you're just like her," she said dryly, crossing her arms. After the chaos from Airi's asthma attack, Shun had briefly introduced them to Taiki, her eleven year old brother. They sat together on the bleachers, quietly observing.

"Excuse me?" Yuuka cut her eyes over to the returned vice captain. "What are you insinuating, exactly?"

Tsukiko, not wanting another blowup when her team had just been reunited, chose to interfere. "She doesn't mean anything, Yuuka," she said, shooting a meaningful look Shun's way. The dark haired girl merely shrugged, back to her impassive and prideful self.

"Game, Seigaku! 5-3!"

_What? _Tsukiko thought in shock, jerking her head up towards the scoreboard. Sure enough, Seigaku had a 5 while Hyotei had 3. _Wasn't it just 3 all? _Apparently neither Yuuka nor Shun had known, either, both looking bewildered.

"Akiyoshi served straight aces," a slightly shaky voice said from behind them. They turned to see Anna, gripping her knees as she stared down at the ground. "And Kataoka made some unforced errors. Definitely too nervous."

Always the empathetic one, Tsukiko turned to Anna concernedly. "What about you, Anna? How are you doing?" She knew that the hot-tempered girl wasn't happy for sure, but a rough estimate of her anger would be nice.

Anna shrugged. "I'm fine, just pissed that they didn't find me worthy enough to hit to," she replied sarcastically.

Bitterly, Tsukiko thought of how that was just the story of her life. Both her and Yuuka were credited as nationally strong players, but when it came to them as a pair everyone assumed that Yuuka was better. Which she was, definitely, but that didn't mean it didn't still hurt. Goddammit, it really hurt, being seen as weak. "I know how you feel," Tsukiko nodded, speaking at almost a whisper. "It hurts, doesn't it?"

"It does."

They remained that way for a while, quietly contemplating. At least, Tsukiko was. For not the first time, she contemplated her friendship with Yuuka, one that was unlikely but had somehow lasted for over fourteen years, of a brave warrior and her guardian angel. It had always been that way, hadn't it? Yuuka had always charged her way through things, not caring of the consequences while Tsukiko carefully followed and cleaned up all her messes without complaint. And then a ways down the path, there was Erena, who healed all the little details Tsukiko had missed. It had always been like that, _always_.

Suddenly, she realized that Anna was saying something, snapping out of her thoughts. "Don't ever put me in doubles again, buchou," Anna said quietly, but her voice was hard and determined, mind completely made up.

"Doubles is always hard at first, but—" Tsukiko stopped midway through her sentence. Who was she kidding? Anna would never get better at doubles if she hated it so much, and Tsukiko, as captain, had to respect that. It was pretty much the only thing she could do that was captain-like, after all.

Anna elaborated further. "I'm just not used to it, and there's just too much pressure, you know? In singles you only need to worry about yourself, but knowing that you have a partner relying on you and you have to rely on them…it's just too much for me. I don't think I could ever get used to it."

Tsukiko smiled, reached over and touched Anna's shoulder. "I know."

"Game, Hyotei! 4-5!"

"It looks like we're making a comeback," Erena mused, though her face was doubtful.

"Not a chance," Yuuka replied grimly, eyes never leaving the court. "Akiyoshi hasn't done a thing yet."

The unreadable curve of Hazuki's smirk was proof enough that no, indeed, Seigaku was not done yet.

**~xXx~**

Rule number one to doubles: Have absolute trust in your partner.

_Well_, Risae thought, _Looks like I've broken the first rule._

Risae wasn't as academically gifted as Inui or Tezuka or Hazuki, but she took pride in being at least a little more human than the rest of those robots. Inui was as socially awkward as he was creepy, Tezuka had the same emotional understanding as a brick, and Hazuki simply didn't care much for other people. Risae, on the other hand, had always been naturally good at reading people.

A first reading of Shiina Ikue? That girl was all calm waters and smoothness, but she had her hackles raised and soul aflame underneath. She wasn't quite impassive, no, but her emotions were guarded closely so she wouldn't get hurt, it seemed. And this worried Risae, because these were the exact type of girls Hazuki preyed on, ripped apart from the inside out.

Kataoka Chizuru was easier to read. She had the talent and perseverance, but she lacked the confidence in herself, letting Shiina take most of the shots. So different from that other second year, the one that had gotten the asthma attack. Risae wouldn't have minded helping Kataoka, giving her tips on making sure that she was confident enough, but she couldn't. Kataoka was the enemy, no matter how endearing she was.

Risae forced herself to remember whom the opposing side was as she stepped forward and poached Shiina's forehand. _Hyotei is the enemy, not your own partner._

Bitterly, she remembered that to Hyotei, Seigaku wasn't the enemy. It had always been a battle between Hyotei and Rikkai, the two strongest schools in the country. Seigaku was known for being strong, but they weren't at the top. So who were they enemies to?

"Oi, Risae!" Tsubaki called from the sidelines. "Stop daydreaming, it's your turn to receive!"

Risae gritted her teeth. Honestly, she didn't really like most of her teammates. Tsubaki was goddamn annoying, Ami was moralistic yet naïve, Kotone was just a pretty face to her, and Hazuki was fucking terrifying. Ayuka and Teruko were okay, but Risae still liked to distance herself a little from them. She gave everyone nicknames to convince them that she liked them, when in reality she grimaced every time she said them.

So what was she doing then? What was she doing, trying to win for a team she didn't even like? What was the point to it all?

"Game, Hyotei! 5 all!"

She didn't care that Shiina's serve had just aced her, didn't care at all. Because what was she doing here, if she didn't care for her team?

"Risae," Hazuki said, holding out the tennis balls in front of her. "It's your serve."

_Tennis_. That was what she'd come here for, and she would play it all she wanted, no matter if she liked her teammates or not. She came for tennis, for herself, and she would play tennis.

Her four straight aces were enough to prove that, and when a usually docile boy with brown hair started cheering for her, she remembered that she'd also come for someone else, too.

**~xXx~**

"Go Furuya-san!" Kawamura cheered loudly.

Momoshiro looked at him in amazement, purple eyes wide. He gripped Echizen's arm. "Quick, Echizen, check to see if he's holding his racquet!"

The first year, who had unfortunately not grown much in three years, scowled, pulling the brim of his cap down. "Momo-senpai, that hurts!" he grumbled, yanking his arm out from Momoshiro's grasp. But he still checked anyway, making sure that Kawamura's yellow racquet was not in his hand but in his bag. Smirking, he said, "You must really like Furuya-senpai, Taka-san."

Kawamura blushed, stopped his cheering as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "She looked a little doubtful for a second, so I thought she could do with some cheering up," he explained as his blush darkened.

Momoshiro clapped him on the back. "Ah, Taka-san, you're in love. How I remember the feeling of falling in love during the springtime…" He sighed dramatically. Kawamura chose not to mention how Momoshiro was younger than him. Let the boy dream for once, before Kaidoh yelled at him.

"Speak for yourself, Momo-senpai. When are you finally going to ask out that girl you've been talking about so much? Nagasaki-senpai, right?" Echizen smirked as he took a casual sip of his Ponta.

"O-oi!"

Fuji chose that moment to cut in, smiling ever so sickly sweet. "What about you, Echizen? Have you made any progress with Ryuzaki-chan these past three years?"

Echizen shrugged. "What progress is there to be made?"

"Touché," Fuji admitted, turning to Tezuka and Oishi. "And what about you two? Making any progress with Igarashi, Oishi? And you with Wakanari, Tezuka?"

"Fuji."

"Yes, Tezuka?"

"Be quiet. The match is still going on. And what about you?"

"Touché."

**~xXx~**

"Game, Seigaku! 6-6!"

Chizuru bit her lip as she tried not to scream. She _hated _tiebreakers, always managed to lose them. _I can't do this, oh my god I can't do this._

Suddenly, she felt a _thunk_ on the top of her head. Ikue had hit her lightly with her racquet, was staring down at her with unreadable violet eyes. "Relax, Kataoka," was all she said, taking her racquet off and turning away.

Ikue knew pain. Maybe that was why she was so sensitive to the pain of others, because she had felt it herself.

_I'd like to put my faith in Ikue-senpai_.

Hazuki was serving first. She sent the ball straight down the middle, a serve Chizuru had been having trouble with for most of the match. But this time, she managed to get her racquet on it, returning with a fairly weak shot that just barely clipped over the net. Risae picked it up, and then Ikue hit a forehand that whipped past Hazuki.

"0-1!"

Chizuru and Ikue managed to carry that momentum through the whole tiebreaker, winning the first set. When Ikue turned to her with a smile after Chizuru had just sealed the last point, the third year looked purely _happy _for once.

Chizuru hoped Choutarou was watching, that he was cheering for her. But then again, she was okay if he wasn't. Because she had something more important at hand right now.

**~xXx~**

Yuuka clapped them both on the shoulders, though she wasn't smiling. She didn't even look happy, either, and that was enough to sober Ikue down immediately.

"You did a good job," the eden eyed girl admitted. "But you haven't won yet. Never _ever _let your guard down against Akiyoshi."

"Look, Akechi, for all this stuff you say about Akiyoshi, she hasn't really done anything spectacular yet," Ikue interjected, slightly frustrated. "It's Akiyoshi-this and Akiyoshi-that, just tell us what makes her such a tough opponent and maybe we'll know what to do against her."

Yuuka looked at her impassively. "Who does she remind you of, Shiina? Think about that first, and then tell me what makes her so frightening."

Ikue was about to protest that that was stupid, that Akiyoshi Hazuki did not remind her of anyone. But then she remembered an incident just a month ago, when a second year with a twisted ankle had been given no mercy by the same girl standing in front of Ikue now. She didn't know Hazuki very well, but the Seigaku didn't have very much trouble reminding Ikue of Yuuka.

And Yuuka in that moment, shouting at Ishino…that reminded Ikue of something else entirely. She thought back to a playground, of hiding underneath the slide while all her classmates were hunting her down, taunting her.

"Oh," was all she said. "Oh."

Yuuka nodded, and the hunch to her shoulders showed that she understood.

**~xXx~**

It all came crashing down during the second set.

Hyotei was winning 2-1, and as they switched sides, Hazuki and Ikue met at the post. Without stopping, Hazuki hissed, "_Unwanted freak_."

Ikue froze. _How does she know?_

"I'm hurt that you forgot about me, Shiina," Hazuki said casually, inspecting a nail. "Elementary school should have been pretty memorable for you."

"I've been forgetting it, until you reminded me," Ikue snapped. _Unwanted. Freak. Mistake. _The words she had grown up hearing, and the words Hazuki had grown up saying to her.

Hazuki hadn't been the only one, and definitely not the worst. But she was the only one that had traced her here, who was still somewhat connected and was hurting her now.

_A playground. Hiding under the slide. A crowd of kids hunting her down, taunting her. _Unwanted. Freak. Mistake. _Biting her hand to keep from crying out, tears of pain threatening to spill._

Demons of the past always came back to haunt you, didn't they?

**~xXx~**

Risae glared at Hazuki. "What did you say to her, Zuki?" she demanded. She might have been here to play tennis because she loved it, but she would not stand to have a doubles partner like Hazuki.

The brown haired girl flicked her hand dismissively. "Just reuniting with an old elementary school classmate. Nothing important, or nothing that concerns you."

That did it. Risae stepped forward, got in the shorter girl's face. "Look, _Akiyoshi_," she hissed. "You know why I play doubles with you? Because nobody else was stupid enough to, and you don't like singles, that's the only reason why I'm doing this. And I was fine with your usual methods of intimidation, but saying whatever the hell you said to that girl is too much. You've just crossed the line, Akiyoshi."

"So?" Hazuki challenged, raising a brow. "Should I be worried or something?"

Risae gritted her teeth, knowing very well that she was about to say something she didn't want to say. "No, you shouldn't," she said, stepping back. "You're Akiyoshi fucking Hazuki, and you don't care about anyone else. Don't worry about something someone like me just said."

"I'm not as moralistic as Ami-chan, and I'm not as ruthless as you or Tsubaki. I'll keep on playing, but I'm not playing for you or for Seigaku." Risae finished, meeting her gaze levelly.

"Then what are you playing for, Risae? What is it that drives you to play tennis?" Hazuki wanted to know. Her brown eyes were burning, burning with her ruthlessness and want to know more.

Just the tiniest bit smugly, Risae thought, _you don't know anything about me, demon girl. You won't be learning anything soon, either._

"I don't play for anyone but myself. I'm here for myself and for a friend," was all she said.

**~xXx~**

"Game and set, Seigaku! 6-3!"

Tentatively, Chizuru reached out and touched Ikue's shoulder. "Ikue-senpai? What's wrong?" she asked softly, afraid that she might get snapped at.

Ikue didn't look at her, didn't even move. "Hey, Kataoka?" she asked, caught in a dream-like trance.

"Yes, senpai?"

Absently, Ikue ruffled Chizuru's curly auburn hair. "You're a great kid, you know? Don't put so much pressure on yourself, it's not worth it."

"Senpai?"

"All I'm saying is that you should be a little happier, okay? Can you do that for me?" Ikue continued on, finally looking at her. She was waiting expectantly for an answer, no longer dream-like but more comatose.

"…I guess I can…" She had absolutely no idea what Ikue was talking about, didn't know if her senior was being honest in such a state. _What's gotten into you, senpai?_

Ikue ruffled Chizuru's hair again, a vague smile floating around. "Good girl. Now why don't we finish the match?"

**~xXx~**

The winner was not Hyotei.

**~xXx~**

"Game, set, and match, Seigaku! 6-7, 6-3, 6-1!"

Ayuka let out a breath of relief. "Good job, Hazuki and Risae. You did really well," she congratulated, squeezing Risae's arm gently. _Don't lose your temper, Risae._

"Yeah," the blonde girl shrugged, trudging off to sit next to Kawamura, who gave her a warm smile. "Thanks."

Hazuki, meanwhile reclaimed her seat on the bench. She turned to Kotone, who was in the middle of stretching out her back. "You're up next."

"How are you feeling, actually, Takahashi-san?" Fuji asked curiously.

Kotone's brow puckered. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're going against Sorano Tsukiko, one of Hyotei's strongest players. Aren't you the least bit nervous?" he pointed out.

"Sorry, Fuji-kun," she shrugged, glossy black hair spilling over her shoulder. "But I don't get intimidated that easily."

He smiled, or was that a smirk? Kotone could never tell, but she was entranced by the curve of his mouth all the same. "As expected from the beauty queen," he teased.

**~xXx~**

"There, there, Ikue-senpai," Chizuru said gently, guiding her by the arm over to a seat. "Come on."

Ikue had remained in that same comatose-like trance for the last set, and even now she seemed completely unaware of her surroundings. It was seriously starting to worry Chizuru, but she knew that if anyone could snap her out of it, it was Anna.

Then again, Anna wasn't in the best state of mind herself. Oh how cruel the world of tennis could be.

"Hi, Zuru," an unusually quiet voice came from behind her said. Airi. "You did really well."

_No, I didn't. I should have helped Ikue-senpai instead of letting her lose herself like that. _"Thanks, Airi," she smiled weakly in return. "Are you feeling better now?"

Airi threw her hands up in exasperation, and that was more like the Airi Chizuru knew, the spunky and cheerful girl who wouldn't let anything stand in her way. "Jesus Christ, it's not like I'm made of glass! All I had was an asthma attack!" she proclaimed.

Chizuru couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry, but after we were all so worried, I don't think you can brush it off as just an asthma attack."

"For the last time, I am _not _made of glass!"

**~xXx~**

"Impressive serves, Tezuka. Though I'd suggest getting more spin on that last one."

Tezuka stiffened momentarily—on the inside, of course—before turning to face his rival. "Atobe," he nodded curtly.

Atobe, Tezuka found, had always been a completely different enigma entirely. He had a rivalry with just about every strong player in the high school division—Yukimura and Sanada, Rikkai's top two, Echizen, and Tezuka himself. There was also that particularly lengthy match with Shitenhouji's Shiraishi last year, which Atobe had just barely grasped the victory.

Tezuka cleared his throat. "What are you here for, Atobe?"

The Hyotei captain's mouth twisted into what Tezuka could hardly call a smile. "What could I need from some commoner like you, Tezuka? Don't flatter yourself." He scoffed.

"You also crippled this commoner three years ago, so I believe you find him worthy of more than just kissing the dirt you walk upon," Tezuka shot back, eyes narrowing behind his glasses. This wasn't the Atobe he'd grown to know over the past six years. No, this was a different Atobe, one that was angry and out of control.

"A match, then? Unless you're too afraid to face the king."

Tezuka was tempted to say yes, but there were so many reasons why it wouldn't be a good idea. They were both Singles 1 and their teams would face off later that day, and it would be plain stupid to play each other now when they probably would later. "No."

"Too bad," Atobe shrugged, though he clearly didn't care. "Mind if I join in your serving practice, then?"

"I don't mind."

There it was again, that same twisted grimace of a smile. It was oddly familiar actually, and Tezuka recognized Atobe smiling that same way when he'd gone up against Shiraishi the year before. Vaguely, he could recall the reason why Atobe had been wearing such an expression, even if Tezuka usually dismissed gossip.

"Oh," Atobe paused before serving, looked up at him straight in the eye. "Your female team won't win."

How was that even related? "You're underestimating Akiyoshi and Mayuzumi," Tezuka replied. Akiyoshi Hazuki was terrifying by all standards, and he knew that Mayuzumi Ayuka wasn't Singles 1 for just any reason.

Atobe shrugged, served cleanly down the middle with a serve that didn't bounce. _Tannhauser Serve._ "Your mistake."

Tezuka didn't know what Atobe was referring to, but he chose not to say anything. Sometimes, it was better for commoners not to question the antics of the king.

**~xXx~**

Taiki tugged on her sleeve. "Is there anywhere I can get a drink, Nee-san?" he asked quietly, looking around the area.

Shun smiled a little, a smile that was reserved for him. "I'll get you something. Juice or soda?"

"Soda, please."

Making sure that Taiki was sitting next to her teammates, Shun got up in search of a vending machine. It was kind of nice to be back at a tennis court, even if she wasn't playing or fully accepted back to her team. But she would try to win back their trust, or whatever faith they used to have in her. She'd apologize to Tsukiko for real when this was all over, and then her conscience would be lifted and she could play to her fullest again.

And then she'd have to find a way to clear the air with her and Yuuka, but that was for later. Right now, she just wanted to be a part of the team again. _I promise that if I'm let back in I'll try to fix everything I broke before._

The clunk of a soda can dropping down took her out of her reverie, and she bent down to retrieve it. When she turned to go, however, a girl was standing before her. Short, with sandy blonde hair that went to her shoulders and serious light blue eyes. Her clothes were casual, yet she was wearing a black, yellow, and red sports jacket over her shirt.

"Hello," she said, voice steady. "Himura-san, right?"

"Yes," Shun nodded, wary and on guard. "Why?"

The girl didn't smile or show any sign of friendliness, but there were faint traces of childishness in her cheeks. "My name," she said, "is Hashimoto Sayuri, Rikkai second year. Suzuki-fukubuchou has talked quite a bit about you, Himura-san."

* * *

**~xXx~**

**End**

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N**: I'm guessing the result of the match was kind of predictable, as a couple of you mentioned, but I'm definitely not done with Hazuki or Risae yet. Or Tsubaki and Ami, for that matter.

Mentions of "Nagasaki-senpai", "Igarashi", and "Wakanari" all refer to characters from **Liliting Glamour**'s story _Shattered Fragments_, a TezukaOC. It's set in the same time as _Lost in Your Eyes, _her story that crosses over with this one. Tanaka Jun, Harada Minori, and Morita Leiko, characters that have all made an appearance in earlier chapters, belong to her too, and Jun and Minori will be showing up more soon. I highly encourage reading both _Shattered Fragments _and _Lost in Your Eyes, _not just because there will be several references to them as this story moves on, but also because Lilting Glamour is damn amazing and they are great stories.

So I also decided to, as several other fanfic authors have done, create a tumblr. The link is on my profile, but the url is **cara-s-kingdom dot tumblr dot com **(FFN is difficult with links). Check it out if you have time, ask me any questions, send me requests, anything really! :)

_**Some Things On Akechi Yuuka…**_

_She doesn't really hate Shun, it's just that she doesn't like how reserved and cold she is. So she tries to bring her to life through competition, and well, it sort of works, sort of backfires._

_Tsukiko is, has been, and always will be her only best friend. Erena's very close with them, but she hangs out with Oshitari more. Tsuki is the only one who's actually stood by her after all these years._

_The first time she went to Atobe's house for dinner, she accidentally spilled punch on the tablecloth and blamed it on Atobe's mother. Everyone but Atobe was fooled by it._

_Pink and purple are her least favorite colors, but she dyed her hair with them anyway. Might as well see something you hate whenever you look in the mirror._

_Her favorite type of movie is anything animated from Disney. She will always be the first in line to the midnight premiere of a new Disney or Disney/Pixar film. Her favorite is _The Fox and the Hound_, but when_ Frozen_ came out she begged Tsukiko to sing "Let It Go" six times in a row and "Do You Wanna Build A Snowman" four. Needless to say, Tsukiko has been sworn to eternal secrecy on that matter._

Love, Cara


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own Prince of Tennis or Lilting Glamour's OCs.

**UPDATE**: Wait, fyerigurl also had the thing about prodigies. Where? Shit, I didn't remember that part. My mistake to treeleaf, the one who pointed it out, really. I wasn't trying to copy her, and if it's seen as plagiarizing by a lot of people I'll take it out. I wasn't trying to copy though, because I honestly forgot about it before I looked through TCAFS again. Sorry, really.

**UPDATE AGAIN**: Okay, so I talked to fyeri about it and she was really nice and told me that I didn't have to take it out but just credit her. It doesn't really feel right to keep it there, though, so I changed that scene to have the overall same meaning but different theme.

* * *

**~xXx~**

"_Here in these deep city lights_

_Girl could get lost tonight_

_I'm finding every reason to be gone_

_There's nothing here to hold on to_

_Could I hold you?"_

—Sara Bareilles, _City_

**~xXx~**

* * *

Shun gripped the can of soda in her hand tightly, not sure whether to respond, back away, or just leave. Hashimoto Sayuri, though at least half a head shorter than her and a year younger, had that intimidating Rikkai presence that all Rikkai students had. The black and yellow jersey fit tightly over her shoulders, giving them a defined and regal look.

"I'm sorry, but aren't you a little far from home?" Shun asked, watching Sayuri carefully. Sayuri was dangerous, because she was Rikkai. She was the enemy.

"We're here for scouting purposes, nothing else," was the sandy haired girl's calm response. "Although Hyotei is our biggest concern at the moment, it might be Seigaku we should worry about instead."

Shun felt her temper flare. "We won't lose," she warned. "The winner _will _be Hyotei." _And we'll beat you too, Rikkai. We'll crush you into the ground._

"Oh really?" Sayuri mused, an amused smirk on the corner of her lips. Tapping her chin, she said, "And can you still say 'we', Himura-san, when you were perfectly content with leaving them until Suzuki-fukubuchou baited you into coming back?"

_Baited me? _Suddenly, she remembered the reason why she'd come here in the first place. It hadn't been for Airi's health, or the team, but it had been because she'd wanted to see Takara again. "Takara…is she here? She texted me earlier…" she trailed off, cursing herself for being so stupid. You don't ever show any sign of weakness to the enemy, that was the general rule of war.

Sayuri shook her head, something resembling sympathy in her pale blue eyes, like pieces of the sky that fell into a lake of ice_._ "Fukubuchou left after texting you."

"Oh." Something in her heart deflated, worse than a balloon being popped by a needle. It was more like someone was stepping on her lungs, crushing them as she desperately tried gasping for air. Like that one time during track season when she'd just won a race, but then a sudden asthma attack destroyed all feelings of victory and happiness.

She'd quit track after that, something she'd been regretting for two years.

Sayuri was watching her levelly. It occurred to Shun that unlike Yuuka or Hazuki, Sayuri was not trying to evaluate and analyze her. She was merely watching, picking up on any details that she could but not storing them away for notes or observations.

That was very familiar, actually. In fact, everything about Hashimoto Sayuri from her shoulder length hair to her serious blue eyes looked familiar…"Hashimoto-san, did you play Singles 3 last year?"

Sayuri smiled faintly, like a leaf that blew across your line of sight in the chilly air. "Fukubuchou was right, you do have a good memory."

The Rikkai rookie ace that had cleanly defeated one of Hyotei's third years last year, she was standing in front of Shun right now. Shun, who had been placed in Singles 2 for that match and would have gone against Takara if Hyotei hadn't lost in straight sets.

Shun knew for a fact that Sayuri was not someone to take lightly. She wasn't Rikkai's second year ace for just any reason.

She swallowed. "So is there anything else you need to tell me? In fact, why did you even come up to me in the first place? Did Takara set you up to it?"

The sandy haired girl's face remained neutral "Just one more thing, Himura-san." Sayuri looked her straight in the eye, ice blue eyes growing more and more serious. "Suzuki-fukubuchou says that the next time you meet will be when our schools clash. She won't see you until then."

"And what if that doesn't happen?" Shun shot back, her voice a hushed whisper. _You can't leave me again Takara, no, no, no._

Sayuri shrugged impassively as she turned. "I've never known fukubuchou to break a promise. It's been nice meeting you, Himura-san, though I should get back to my senpais now."

She disappeared as quickly as she'd come, leaving Shun standing alone, frozen in place and gripping the can of soda.

_No, no, no, don't leave me._

**~xXx~**

Oshitari raised a brow, half in amusement and half in skepticism "Well, this is certainly…_new_," he said slowly, hand cupping his chin. His grin was slow spreading and wolfish, like he was trying his hardest not to laugh out loud.

"Ridiculous," Mukahi snorted. "They're such girls."

Erena elbowed the short boy. "Says the one that's been officially announced as the shortest and skinniest little _girl_ of all Hyotei." She teased, causing the red haired boy to glare at her as he rubbed his ribs. Noticing the return of a dark haired girl, Erena called out, "Hey Himura, what took you so long?"

Shun shrugged noncommittally, dropping next to Taiki—a really good kid, that one—and handing him a can of Cola. "The vending machine doesn't like me very much," she replied flatly. "How come the match hasn't started yet? I was gone for almost ten minutes." Shun added, craning her neck to get a better look at the court.

Mukahi snorted again, this time sidestepping Erena's elbow. "Sorano and that Seigaku girl are too busy doing their hair."

True enough, both Tsukiko and Kotone were locked in a fierce staring contest at the net, yet they hadn't shaken hands yet. Tsukiko had bobby pins in her mouth as she expertly twisted complex braids into a bun, while Kotone was painstakingly fishtailing her waist-length black hair. The umpire looked pretty confused as well, yet both Yuuka and Hazuki, the bench captains, weren't fazed by it.

Chizuru giggled at it, clapping a hand over her mouth to hide her laughter. "Tsukiko-buchou's gorgeous hair strikes again," she commented with a laugh. When Airi turned to her in confusion, she explained, "Buchou always does something fancy with her hair when she's serious, and she always ends up delaying the match by a few minutes because of it."

"Ohhh," Airi mused, curiously glancing back at Takahashi Kotone, the girl that had the figure and air of a model. She was barely taller than Tsukiko, yet Tsukiko wasn't cowering back or intimidated. "Then why's she doing that too?" Airi asked, pointing to Kotone.

"It's all about mentality," Erena joined in. This time, both second years wore confused expressions. The tall girl continued, said, "See, Tsukiko could easily have done her hair before arriving, but she chooses to do it right before her match because she knows it makes the other players antsy. Takahashi isn't very affected though, which is why she's fixing her own hair while Tsukiko's doing it too." Turning back to Mukahi, she added, "Not so annoyingly girly anymore, is it, shorty?"

Mukahi glared at the offensive nickname. "Says the one with short hair, you giraffe," he shot back. Erena just shrugged flippantly, retorted, "Pixie mother child."

Nobody chose to comment on how little sense that made. Mukahi seemed to understand it though, and his miffed expression was so priceless Erena wished she'd brought her camera today.

"I do wish they'd hurry up, though," Oshitari sighed, rubbing his forehead. "We're all quite used to Sorano-chan's antics, but Seigaku definitely isn't." Indeed, the Seigaku side was beginning to get impatient, hissing annoyed comments and shooting Tsukiko dirty looks that the red haired girl patiently and flippantly ignored.

"Oh, let them be," Yuuka called back. "They're almost done, anyway."

Under his breath, Mukahi muttered, "Girls are weird—_ow!_ What the hell, Fukumitsu?"

"Pixie."

**~xXx~**

"About time you finished," Kotone sneered. "For a second I thought you forgot how to braid."

Tsukiko fingered her finished rose braid bun, making sure every braid was tucked in the right places. "I did all this in the time it took you to do a simple fishtail, so you really shouldn't be talking, Takahashi," she shot back coolly.

Kotone narrowed her grey eyes. It was a shame that she reminded Tsukiko of one of those spoiled pageant girls that grew up to be straight up bitches, Kotone really was lovely. Her long black hair was glossy and smooth, face well crafted with full lips and high cheekbones. She was as pretty as Anna, or perhaps even more, and just as icy on the exterior. "It must be rough for you, Sorano, what with your doubles partner ditching you and now you're going to lose in singles." Kotone commented.

"If anything, I ditched Yuuka, not the other way around," Tsukiko corrected, thinking back to how she wouldn't have returned if it hadn't been for Shishido. _Not for Yuuka, for Shishido-kun_. "And you still shouldn't be talking, Takahashi. There's a reason why I'm captain, and you'll be finding that out soon." With that, she spun on her heel and went over to the baseline. "I won the call earlier, so I'll serve."

Yuuka whistled lowly when Tsukiko got close enough. "That was pretty good for your first bitch-off, Tsuki. You've got this one in the bag," she grinned, holding up a goofy thumbs-up.

Tsukiko ignored the sudden decrease in her confidence, put on a confident smile so her teammates wouldn't see how goddamn nervous she actually was. "What else were you expecting, Yuuka?"

She took a deep breath before she served, and when she hit the ball the satisfying sound of an ace cracking across the court was enough to make her feel a little better.

_I can do this._

**~xXx~**

Chizuru looked around curiously. "Hey, where's Atobe-senpai? Didn't he leave with you and Kabaji-kun?" she wondered aloud, turned to Airi.

Airi flinched noticeably, looking incredibly nervous and so, so, guilty. "Um, I don't know where he went. We talked for a little bit, and I think Keigo-senpai's actually kind of mad at me so he kind of stormed off, yeah…" Airi trailed off, fidgeting with her fingers in her lap. Next to her, Kabaji sympathetically patted her shoulder and sent a look to Chizuru that said, _leave it_. Always one to respect the privacy of others, Chizuru nodded, turned back to the match.

Honestly, she had no idea what Airi could have done or said that was so bad it made Atobe angry. He clearly adored the girl, even if he showed frustration at her academic ranking in the seventies, so it must have been pretty serious if Atobe was so upset he hadn't come back yet.

Distantly, Chizuru thought to herself that Airi could indeed be very frustrating sometimes. After the whole scene in the common room for the advanced students, Etsu had refused to talk to Chizuru anymore, which Chizuru guessed she kind of deserved. She had to keep her boundaries between tennis friends and track friends and friends in the honors class, because they were all such different people. Track was pretty hardcore, with timed trials every week that determined who would be running in the next race. She thought of shin splints and aching calves, of almost falling asleep while still having to run another lap. Tennis was even tougher if anything, always having to be on guard so you didn't get your regular position taken away. And as for academics, well, that was another story entirely.

"Game, Hyotei! 2-1!"

Erena hummed pleasantly, which Chizuru knew to be a good thing. Erena wasn't a warm and fuzzy person, but when she was pleased or in a good mood she was noticeably brighter. "Tsukiko's doing really well, she's definitely got this," the tall girl was grinning, fingering the ends of her fringe out of habit.

"Not bad for only playing doubles for five years," Anna agreed, finally out of her previously enraged state. She had calmed down considerably since Doubles 1 had ended, and Chizuru suspected that much of it had to do with Anna's concern over Ikue, who was unfortunately not faring as well. The golden-brown haired girl was still in a trance, grimacing every now and then but not appearing to actually process anything.

Takahashi Kotone did have a great serve, wickedly fast and sharply angled. She'd aced Tsukiko with a few of those earlier, but now the Hyotei captain had gotten a hang of it. She stepped forward early, hit a forehand so fast Chizuru would have missed it if she'd blinked. It was a perfect return ace.

Even Yuuka appeared to be feeling optimistic about this match, making a satisfied sound in her throat. "Tsuki's forehand was always vicious, definitely her best weapon," she commented, tracing a finger around the curve of her chin. "Takahashi's got something in her too, though."

"She's really pretty," Chizuru piped in, glancing enviously at the Seigaku player. Kotone looked icy and unapproachable, but that didn't mean she still wasn't pretty. There were just different ways of being pretty, Chizuru knew. Tsukiko was sweet and graceful, Yuuka had some sort of striking quality to her that looked attractive in a cryptic way, and Anna was simply beautiful—there was no better word for Anna. Kotone was like Anna, with perfect features and a model-like figure, yet they were both reserved and closed off, a palpable wall separating them from others.

"Eh, she's not _bad _to look at," Yuuka shrugged, tone casual yet she did appear to grudgingly agree. How could you disagree, when a classic Japanese beauty was right in front of you?

"Looks aside, though we can all agree that they are very important," Oshitari cut in, amused. "Perhaps Takahashi's hiding something, a trick up her sleeve that would throw the match off course."

Under his breath, Gakuto said, "Then you have a trick up your _pants_, Yuush—ow! Goddammit, Fukumitsu!" He swore as Erena elbowed him yet again, though she was fighting to keep back a grin at his comment about Oshitari.

Wisely, Yuuka and Oshitari ignored them, watching the match instead. Chizuru did too, out of curiosity from what Oshitari had said. A trick up Kotone's sleeve? What would she be hiding against Hyotei's captain? Tsukiko won the game, bringing the score to 3-1, yet Kotone hardly seemed fazed. She merely flicked her fishtail over her shoulder as she went back to receive, a small yet noticeable smirk on her face. _I've got you now_, she appeared to be saying.

"I see," Yuuka nodded mouth set in a grim line and eden eyes suddenly not so optimistic anymore. Now she was wary, never missing a beat and on edge. "This isn't over yet."

"Not even close," Oshitari agreed just as grimly, crossing his arms. He was frowning slightly, the corners of mouth tilting down just enough to inspire worry.

Worry was exactly what Chizuru felt for Tsukiko as the captain served, and suddenly she had a feeling that Singles 3 would last much longer than she'd originally thought.

**~xXx~**

"Game and set, Hyotei! 6-2!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Tsubaki demanded, gripping at the fence with clenched fingers and fiery eyes. "Are you even trying to win, Takahashi, or are you just lazy?"

Calmly, from her relaxed perch on the coach's bench, Hazuki waved a hand at Tsubaki, signaling for her to be quiet. "Quiet, Tsubaki. This isn't the time for accusations," she said simply yet effectively, as Tsubaki immediately clamped her mouth shut.

Turning to Kotone, Hazuki said, "You're doing fine, Kotone. Don't hit to her forehand if you can help it though, she's killing you with it," she warned.

"Yeah," Kotone shrugged, voice as hard and sharp as daggers. She was gripping her racquet tightly, knuckles white and sticking out from the pressure. "Attack their weaknesses, avoid their strengths. Got it," Kotone saluted sarcastically, flicking her braid over her shoulder in a practiced motion.

Hazuki chose not to say anything. She merely observed instead, tilting her head as she deciphered Takahashi Kotone not for the first time.

It was by no means a secret that Kotone was a former beauty pageant contestant and multiple times winner, or that she had been offered several modeling deals already for once she graduated. It was also very well known—and pretty damn obvious—that Kotone knew how to turn her different attitudes on with just a snap of her fingers, in a split second she would be someone else.

Pageant girls had to be expressive, overly so most of the time. They lied too, lied about everything so they could be seen as perfect and flawless, but that stole their humanity away from them. To be able to change in a split second, act like someone you weren't, that was what pageant girls and models had to learn and master.

Kotone had indeed mastered this, which was probably why she had won almost every pageant she'd entered. She was friendly enough normally, and sometimes downright goofy too with those she was close with. But not when it came to tennis, no, not ever when it came to tennis. Kotone could be a downright bitch when she held a racquet in her fingers, she could fight and claw her way to victory, even if there would be nothing left of her opponent once she was done.

Speaking of people who could be downright bitches, Hazuki's gaze trailed over to the Hyotei side, to the girl with dyed hair and silver tongued smile. Everyone in Tokyo knew about her, had seen her in all the newspapers and headlines with Atobe Keigo for five years. And then, after the announcement of their breakup, there was no more mention of Akechi Yuuka. It had almost been as if they were trying to erase her from the world, pretend that she hadn't existed because she'd surely broken young Atobe's heart.

Quite frankly, Hazuki didn't give a shit about relationships, especially not ones of people she didn't give a shit about. Atobe might be Tokyo's Golden Boy, but Akechi Yuuka was nothing. Nothing but a genius who would eventually go mad, who would bring her own demise upon herself because she'd one day be overwhelmed by herself and her abilities. Hazuki had no doubt that she herself would be the same, that her and Yuuka would share the same fate.

_We are so similar, Akechi Yuuka. The only difference is that you are so much more vulnerable, and that is why you are the pawn in the master plan._

The break between sets was over, and as Kotone headed back out, Hazuki saw with satisfaction that Yuuka and Tsukiko on the other side were looking grim and wary. _Yes, be afraid. The real mastermind is me_, she thought with a smirk.

"Buchou?" Ami called, capturing Hazuki's attention. The short girl was nervous, playing with the ends of her ponytail with one hand as she chewed on a fingernail with the other. "Um, earlier when I asked to forfeit, I didn't think you'd actually agree to it. So, err, why did you?"

Pleasantly, Hazuki said, "Why did I what, Ami?"

Ami flinched. "Why did you agree? Why did you call the forfeit?"

"Just like you said, Ami, it was simply the right thing to do. Any other questions?" The captain brushed it off.

"I have a question for you," Teruko cut in. If she was nervous at the prospect of facing Akechi Yuuka soon, she wasn't showing it. She was brimming with confidence as always, yet she was also level headed and unable to be fazed. Planting a hand on her hip, she said, "What did you say to Shiina that made her so shaken up for the rest of the match?"

Next to Kawamura, Risae turned to listen, teakwood brown eyes pooling with anger.

Hazuki merely shrugged, ignoring the smallest, tiniest, slightest twinge of guilt in her stomach. "I knew Shiina from elementary school in Kyoto. She didn't remember me, though, so I thought it would be nice to do some…catching up."

Risae scoffed, prompting a worried look from Kawamura. "More like you scarred her through your cruelty," she snapped, jerking her head towards the Hyotei side. "_Look _at her, Akiyoshi, and then try telling me you did nothing wrong."

Shrugging, Hazuki turned to look at Shiina Ikue, slumped against the bleachers as she stared vacantly at some point in the distance, looking so completely empty. The seed of guilt started to sprout in Hazuki's conscience, but she didn't let it feel any more sunlight. There some emotions she hated, and guilt was one of them. She would not bring herself to feel guilt for someone that was so weak, who broke so easily.

"I did nothing wrong, Risae," Hazuki clarified, turning to the blonde girl with an impassive gaze. "Stop blaming me for something that isn't my fault."

_But it is, isn't it? _ Were the unspoken words that screamed far too loudly, shrill and piercing and haunting.

The seed began to flower. She ignored it.

**~xXx~**

_Be careful, Tsuki_ was all Yuuka had said to her during the break.

Now, Tsukiko wished she'd been given more advice. Anticipating a drop shot, she charged the net, only to be lobbed by a highflying ball that clipped the corner.

"Game, Seigaku! 3-2!"

Oh how the tables had been turned, she thought wryly. Tsukiko had been winning with ease in the first set, a spectacular 6-2. Now, she was struggling to keep up with Kotone, slowly falling behind and stumbling. But _how_? Tsukiko didn't think she was playing any differently, and Kotone didn't look any different, either.

Yuuka called for a timeout, and she looked deep in contemplation as they sat on the bench together. Finally, after what felt like a long time, she nodded and began talking. "Takahashi's purposefully avoiding your forehand," she decreed. "It's your best shot, so that's why she won't even give you any volleys, either."

"Seriously?" Tsukiko muttered, raising a brow. "Is my backhand really that terrible?"

Yuuka laughed mirthlessly. "It's not that your backhand is your weakest shot—" the red haired girl flinched a little at that. "—it's just that she's crippling you by making you only able to hit one shot while she's got all of hers still in use."

"May I add in my two cents?" Oshitari, who was standing behind them on the other side of the fence, spoke up. The girls turned to him, Yuuka nodding seriously and Tsukiko just a bit confused. "Takahashi probably used the first set to gather information, find out your weaknesses and strengths. Now she's taking advantage of you, shutting down your strengths so you'll only be able to display weaknesses."

Tsukiko felt something grip her heart, turn it to ice with a single touch and freeze all the blood in her veins. "Oh," was all she said, voice frozen like the rest of her. "Okay then," she nodded, getting up. "If that's what she wants, she won't be getting it."

"Tsuki?" Yuuka called. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Tsukiko replied, not looking back. She was staring at Takahashi Kotone, venom in her dark blue eyes. "I'm just fine."

**~xXx~**

"She's got to be possessed," Erena muttered, watching Tsukiko with worry. "It's got to be possession, or maybe something was slipped into her water bottle."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Anna sighed. "I think it's good for buchou, to let out her anger every once in a while."

Erena and Yuuka exchanged a glance. "Well…" Erena began, looking at a loss for words. "It's just that, well…"

"We've never really seen Tsuki mad before," Yuuka finished, looking back at the match with interest. "

"Wait, seriously?" Anna replied with interest. "How has she never gotten angry at you before, not even once? How long have you even known each other?"

Yuuka thought for a second. "Almost thirteen years," she confirmed. "We met on the first day of kindergarten, where I accidentally spilled juice on her seat and then proceeded to steal her crayons. The start to a beautiful friendship," Yuuka deadpanned.

Anna couldn't help but laugh. "What about you, Erena?" she asked the taller girl.

"I didn't know Tsukiko and Yuuka until fourth grade, when I transferred from a school in Fukuoka," Erena answered, shrugging. "We were in the same class and just hit it off, I guess."

"Except I do recall you saying I was scary," Yuuka scoffed, throwing her an amused—and was that _fond_—glance. "Quite the trio we are, huh?" she added a little more softly. Clearly she was thinking of the fight she'd had with Tsukiko not even a week ago, of how they'd both fallen down only to be dragged back up with the help of others. But they were together now, weren't they? They had survived that fall.

_Yeah, _Anna thought to herself. They really were quite the trio.

She thought of the conversation she'd had just days ago with Hotaka, when he'd told her the story of his life with Daisuke. Childhood best friends who'd fallen in love over the years, Hotaka following Daisuke to Kyoto University even though he hadn't wanted to leave the small town they'd grown up in. Hotaka had said that they'd been together their whole lives, that he couldn't imagine a time where it hadn't been the two of them.

When she'd told him her plan, his blue eyes, which had grown friendlier as they'd talked more, suddenly closed up again, guarded and stern. "No," he'd replied shortly, narrowing his eyes. "I'm not going to allow you to do that."

"But why not, Koike-san?" Anna had protested. "Don't you want her to be happy, though? The only time I've ever seen her truly happy was when she was with you and Okamura-san, so please?"

Hotaka scoffed. "You don't know much about her, Hayashi. I don't think you know anything, in fact, because if you did you wouldn't be thinking such a plan."

"Why don't you tell me, then? What happened to her, why isn't she happy?" she demanded.

He shook his head. "It's not in my place to tell you." Then, with a sigh of defeat, he said, "But maybe your plan will work, so I guess I can go along with it. Just one thing, though," he warned.

"If she's more unhappy than she is now, you will be the one to take the blame for it."

Back in the present day, Anna cast a glance at Ikue. She was staring off, unfocused and silent with her hands loosely clenched in her lap. Anna didn't think anybody could ever be less happy than Ikue was now.

**~xXx~**

By some means of the media and reputation, Oshitari's image was quite different from who he actually was.

He wasn't, for one thing, a genius. No, not at all. His IQ wasn't high enough to be technically qualified as a genius, and he wasn't a genius when it came to tennis, either. "The Man of 1000 Techniques," yeah right. It was just a nickname like how Atobe was "King", a way of showing Hyotei's extravagance and status. He highly doubted he was a prodigy, either. Hyotei's only prodigies were Atobe and Erena, and even if Oshitari wasn't smart enough to be a genius, he was smart enough to know that he didn't belong with them.

Another thing Oshitari wasn't was a shallow bastard whose only intent was to prey on women. Where, for the love of God, had the rumor spread from? He wasn't a virgin, but he could count on one hand the number of women he'd slept with. Ridiculous, really, the rumor mill. Plain fucking ridiculous.

There was, however, one thing the media had gotten right. He did love women, but not just the beautiful ones. He'd read many different romance novels in his life, some being tragic, and some with a happy ending. No two novels were the same, but there was one universal theme that he'd come to accept as the truth: Everyone was beautiful. It didn't matter if they were fat or skinny or didn't have facial features that blended well together, but if you looked at them the right way, they were still beautiful.

Hyotei was full of beautiful people, both physically and character wise. Anna the Beauty Queen was one such example of a physically beautiful person, and there were some girls that were so lovely to look at it hurt your heart. Other people, like the girl whose desk was in front of his in class, Tanaka Jun, weren't quite as beautiful physically but had such interesting characters it made them beautiful.

Sorano Tsukiko was an interesting case. She was pretty and attractive, but sometimes her personality resembled that of a pushover. She wasn't suited for captainship, some people had said, she was too weak, not authoritative enough. Oshitari, though, had to disagree. Authority was Shun's job, Tsukiko's was to inspire. Inspiration, he found, was perhaps the most beautiful quality anyone could possess. Atobe had it, and so did Tsukiko.

And if there was one thing she undeniably had, it was heart. Erena kept secrets to herself, and Yuuka and Shun were almost unapproachable. Tsukiko, though, wore her heart on her sleeve. It was easy to get hurt that way, but she was strong enough to not let anyone bruise or damage her.

Now, her heart was showing as she playing Takahashi Kotone. Sidestepping every backhand to make it a forehand, aiming only at Kotone's weaker shots, hitting winner after winner until finally, finally, she'd hit enough winners. And Oshitari couldn't help but feel proud for her, and a little twinge of regret that he had dismissed the idea of asking her out to the wedding so early. She was a great girl, she really was.

It might have just been a trick of the light, but perhaps Shishido was smiling, too, for a moment. Then the moment passed, and Oshitari wasn't so sure anymore.

**~xXx~**

"Game, set, and match, Hyotei! 6-2, 6-4!"

Dimly, she was aware that her school was cheering for her, chanting her name and screaming for one more match, only one more match before Hyotei went on the prefectural finals. Was this what it was like, she wondered, to be queen?

Slowly, she reached for the pins holding her rose braid bun up and pulled them out, letting her hair tumble over her shoulders in loose waves. The cheering grew louder. Were they really cheering for her, or for Hyotei? She didn't know, and she didn't care, either, because there were some people that she knew were proud of her.

The moment was glorious.

And then she turned to see if a boy with a blue cap was cheering for her, if he was proud. But he wasn't even there, not with her team or with the boys. The moment suddenly wasn't so glorious anymore, and she couldn't even think of a logical reason why.

Was this, she wondered, really what it was like to be queen?

**~xXx~**

"Nice job, Kotone," Ayuka said softly, pulling her in for a hug.

Kotone jerked away from her, fire in her eyes and mouth. "Whatever," she spat, storming off with her racquet still in hand.

No longer smiling, Fuji stood up. "I'll go after her," he said. "I think she just needs someone there, but doesn't want them to talk to her."

"That makes no sense, Fuji-senpai," Kaidoh pointed out, though respectfully as always. He himself knew Kotone, and anyone that knew her knew very well that Fuji was right. She needed company, but not reassurance.

Which was why Fuji was perfect for the job, because if anything he set you more on edge than before.

As Fuji left, Teruko stretched calmly. There was always a twenty-minute break between Singles 3 and 2, since matches could sometimes end at Singles 3. Calmly as ever, she said to Ayuka, "Don't worry, Ayuka. I'll win, then you, and Seigaku will be the winners."

"You should be worried, though," Ayuka warned. "Akechi Yuuka knows how to kill."

Teruko shrugged. "And I know how to survive."

* * *

**~xXx~**

**End**

**~xXx~**

* * *

**A/N**: Aaaaand that concludes the Singles 3 Tsukiko VS Kotone match! Next up is Yuuka VS Teruko, and I'm super excited to start writing that.

Thank you to everyone who checked out my tumblr! I've been posting answers to asks, chapter previews, a couple sneak peeks of an upcoming project, and some songs. I'm also in the midst of writing drabbles based on two characters (sometimes three) that y'all send me, and I've got one about Shishido and Chizuru and another about the London trio when they were younger. Link to the tumblr is on my profile, or type in the link **cara-s-kingdom DOT tumblr DOT com.**

_**Some things on Fukumitsu Erena…**_

_She secretly thinks that Kenya is cooler than Yuushi, though she wouldn't admit that to either of them. Kenya owns a lizard, is striving to be doctor, and is the fastest in all of Osaka and probably Japan, of course he's the cooler of the two dorks._

_A lot of people assume she's tomboyish at first because of her short hair. That is, until they see her nails. She is an expert with nail polish._

_If she had to choose between Japan and Greece, she'd say Japan. Greece is beautiful and special to her, but most of her worst memories are from there, too._

_She loves bagels. Instead of eating a normal sandwich with bread, she always gets bagels instead, even when ordering one in a shop._

_She first met Ikue when they were buying dye for the colors in their hair. They both reached for the last container of emerald green and argued over it for a solid twenty minutes. Ikue ended up getting it when she beat Erena at rock paper scissors._

Love, Cara


End file.
